Some 45,000 people marched through The Hague on Sunday calling on the next government to put climate change at the heart of its policies.

Protesters carried placards with slogans such as “Make the earth great again” and “It’s your mother, after all”, as they called for stronger political action to tackle the climate crisis.

“Our generation helped create this level of prosperity, but we also need to take responsibility,” Margriet (62) told broadcaster NOS. “People find it difficult to take a step back and make sustainable choices. The problem is that doing something about climate change doesn’t bring quick results—it doesn’t build houses or create jobs overnight.”

Lucie (20) told broadcaster NOS climate change had received too little attention during the election campaign. “The debate is dominated by other topics, and because climate change feels abstract, it’s easy to ignore.”

For others, the day was about connection and hope. “The positive energy of all these people coming together really helps,” said Carlijn (26),  who was attending her first protest. “Even if politics doesn’t move fast enough, it’s good to know that we’re not alone.”

• The biggest election issues: climate change and the environment

Several political parties were represented at the march, but not the VVD and other right wing parties. Volt leader Laurens Dassen said the climate crisis should be “the number one issue for the next cabinet”. “It’s not just a progressive issue—it’s a challenge for the whole country,” he said.

Partij voor de Dieren leader Esther Ouwehand said it was “wrong” that climate had barely featured in campaign debates. “It’s inspiring to see so many people asking for action,” she said. “Every party should come forward with serious plans.”

GroenLinks–PvdA leader Frans Timmermans called the climate crisis “the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced”, while D66 leader Rob Jetten said the Netherlands could still meet its goals.

“Climate policy has stalled in recent years,” he said, “but we’ve shown before that when the political centre works together, we can achieve great things.”