EU emissions down 4%
17th May 2023
EUROPE: EU greenhouse gas emissions decreased 4% in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared with the same quarter of 2021, according to latest figures from Eurostat.
This decrease to 938MtCO2e was despite a 1.5% increase in the EU’s GDP in the quarter. It is also positive that compared with the pre-pandemic fourth quarter of 2019, EU economy greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 6%.
The economic sectors responsible for the most greenhouse gas emissions In the fourth quarter of 2022 were manufacturing and households (each with 21%), electricity, gas supply (20%), agriculture (13%), followed by transportation and storage (11%).
Data show that compared with the fourth quarter of 2021, emissions decreased in six out of nine economic sectors, varying between -0.3% in the water supply; sewerage, waste management and construction sectors and -9.7% in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector. The only three sectors in which emissions increased were ‘transportation and storage’ (+7.0%), services (except transport and storage) (+1.6%) and mining and quarrying (+1.0%).
Emissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased in almost all EU countries when compared with the same quarter of 2021, except for Ireland (+12.3%), Latvia (+6.8%), Malta (+6.4%) and Denmark (+1.9%). Among the EU countries that reduced greenhouse gas emissions, the largest decreases were registered in Slovenia (-15.9%), Netherlands (-9.9%) and Slovakia (-6.9%).
Of the 23 EU countries that saw a decrease in emissions, only five recorded a decrease in their GDP (Estonia, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden), meaning most managed to decrease emissions while growing their GDP.
