21/06/2005 - Emissions
of climate-changing greenhouse gases from
the European Union have increased in 2003,
after having fallen in 2002. Emissions in
the 15 old member states (EU-15) increased
by 53 million tonnes (1.3%) between 2002 and
2003.Total EU-25 emissions increased by 1.5%,
says the latest annual report on greenhouse
gas emissions from the European Environment
Agency.
Between 2002 and 2003 EU-15 emissions of
carbon dioxide (CO2), which makes up over
80% of all EU-15 greenhouse gas emissions,
increased by 59 million tonnes (1.8%). Since
11000 CO2 emissions in the EU-15 have increased
by 3.4%.
The emission increase in 2003 was mainly
caused by an increase in power production
using coal. The colder weather in the first
quarter in several EU countries, also contributed
to an increased use of fossil fuels to heat
homes and offices.
Still, since 11000, the base year of the
Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse gas emissions in
the EU-15 have decreased by 1.7%. Five-year
average emissions between 1999 and 2003 are
currently 2.9% below the base year emissions.
Since 2003 a number of EU and national policies
and measures have been implemented, which
will help progress towards the Kyoto target.
The EU emissions trading scheme launched on
1. January 2005 is expected to result in further
cuts in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2)
in the coming years.
In addition, some member states are starting
to take advantage of other options for reducing
emissions that are available under the Kyoto
Protocol. These options allow countries to
achieve part of their targets by investing
in emissions-saving projects in other countries
that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, or
by undertaking projects that sequester CO2
in forests or agricultural land.
New projections of future emissions by member
states should become available over the coming
months.
Report:
Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory
11000-2003 and inventory report 2005
European Commission press release (IP/05/767)
on the report:
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/setLanguage.do?language=en
Notes for the editor
Changes in greenhouse gas emissions in EU-15
- sectors
The overall 53 million tonnes increase in
EU-15 emissions between 2002 and 2003 reflected
higher greenhouse gas emissions from energy
industries (+24 million tonnes or 2.1%), mainly
due to a 5% growth of thermal power production
and a 5% increase of coal consumption in thermal
power stations. The increase in thermal power
production was driven by higher electricity
consumption (+3%). The largest emission increases
from electricity and heat production was in
the UK (+10 million tonnes), Finland (+7 million
tonnes), and Germany (almost +6 million tonnes).
Substantial increases of coal consumption
were the main reason.
Greenhouse gas emissions from households and
the services sector increased considerably
(+18 million tonnes or +2.8%), partly due
to colder weather in first quarter of 2003.
Emissions from industry increased by 17 million
tonnes (+2.1%) which was mainly due to higher
emissions from iron and steel production as
well as refrigeration and air conditioning.
Transport emissions increased by 6 million
tonnes (0.7%) between 2002 and 2003. Germany
reduced emissions from road transport for
the fourth consecutive year which partly offset
emission increases from that sector in other
EU-15 Member States.
Emissions in the agriculture sector decreased
mainly due to declining number of cattle and
lower emissions from agricultural soils.
Other reductions were achieved for fugitive
emissions from coal mining and from natural
gas. Emission from the waste sector has decreased
due to increased methane recovery and less
waste land filled.
Changes in greenhouse gas emissions in EU-15
- Member States
Between 2002 and 2003, Italy, Finland and
the United Kingdom saw the largest emission
increases in absolute terms (15 million tonnes,
8 million tonnes and 7 million tonnes respectively).
Italian emissions increased mainly from households
and services by 6 million tonnes (+8%) and
from manufacturing industries by 5 million
tonnes (+6%), in particular in iron and steel
and cement production. In the UK, emissions
from public electricity and heat production
increased by 10 million tonnes (+6%) due to
a strong increase of coal consumption in thermal
power stations (+12%). In addition, emissions
from manufacturing industries increased by
4.5 million tonnes (+5%).These emission increases
were partly offset by declining emissions
in household and services and coal mining.
The increase of emission in Finland was driven
by a +7 million tonnes (27%) of CO2 from electricity
and heat production. This was mainly due to
a 45% increase of coal and peat combustion
in thermal power plants. Declining electricity
imports and hydropower production combined
with a sharp increase of electricity exports
were driving the thermal power production
in Finland. In total Finland's emission increased
by 10.8% from 2002 to 2003.
Between 2002 and 2003, Denmark and Austria
also saw large relative increases in their
emissions, +7.3% and + 5.9% respectively.
The main reason for the large emission increase
in Denmark was an increase in electricity
exports associated with a sharp increase of
coal consumption in thermal power production.
In Austria, the main factors were low hydro
power production (which was offset by thermal
power production), a further large growth
in road fuel sales and comparatively cold
temperatures in the first quarter.
On the positive side, 2003 saw emission reductions
from Portugal (-4.5 million tonnes or -5.3%)
and Ireland (-2 million tonnes or -2.6%).
In Portugal a sharp increase in hydropower
production was a main reason. In Ireland,
the decline is the result of a number factors,
including the closure of Irelands only nitric
acid plant and its associated ammonia production
facility, CO2 reduction in electricity generation
through the greater use of cleaner fuels and
continued decreases in CH4 and N2O emissions
in agriculture.
Figures and tables
The following figures and table give details,
for the EU-15, of trends in emissions of the
six greenhouse gases up to 2003. Emissions
from international aviation and shipping,
and emissions from/removals by land use change
and forestry, are not covered.
Figure 1: Total EU-15 greenhouse gas emissions
in relation to the Kyoto target
(source: European Environment Agency, 2005)
Notes: The linear target path is not intended
as an approximation of past and future emission
trends. It provides a measure of how close
the EC emissions in 2002 are to a linear path
of emissions reductions from 11000 to the
Kyoto target for 2008–2012, assuming that
only domestic measures will be used. Therefore,
it does not deliver a measure of (possible)
compliance of the EC with its GHG targets
in 2008-2012, but aims at evaluating overall
EC GHG emissions in 2002. The unit is index
points with base year emissions being 100.
GHG emission data for the EC as a whole do
not include emissions and removals from LUCF.
In addition, no adjustments for temperature
variations or electricity trade are considered.
For the fluorinated gases the EC base year
emissions is the sum of Member States' emissions
in the respective base years. 13 Member States
have chosen to select 1995 as base year under
the Kyoto Protocol, Finland and France have
chosen to use 11000. Therefore, the EC base
year estimates for fluorinated gas emissions
are the sum of 1995 emissions for 13 Member
States and 11000 emissions for Finland and
France.
The Kyoto target is a five-year average target.
This is the reason for plotting the latest
five-year average available (1999-2003) in
addition to the GHG emission trends 11000-2003.
Table 1: Greenhouse gas emissions
trends and Kyoto Protocol targets for 2008-2012
(source: European Environment Agency, 2005)
The base year for CO2, CH4 and N2O is 11000;
for the fluorinated gases 13 Member States
have chosen to select 1995 as the base year,
whereas Finland and France have chosen 11000.
As the EC inventory is the sum of Member States'
inventories, the EC base year estimates for
fluorinated gas emissions are the sum of 1995
emissions for 13 Member States and 11000 emissions
for Finland and France.
Malta and Poland did not provide GHG emission
estimates for 2003, therefore the data provided
in this table is based on gap filling.
Note: Malta and Cyprus do not have Kyoto Protocol
targets.
Figure 2: Absolute change
in GHG emissions 2002-2003 in EU-15 by sector
(source: European Environment Agency, 2005)
Note: 'Energy industries' includes 'Public
electricity and heat production' 'Petroleum
refining' and 'Manufacture of solid fuels
and other energy industries'; 'Industry' includes
energy related emissions from 'Manufacturing
industries' and emission from 'Industrial
processes'; 'Other' includes mainly 'Fugitive
emissions from fuels', emissions from 'Solvent
and other product use'.
Figure 3: Absolute change
in GHG emissions 2002-2003 for EU-15 Member
States
(source: European Environment Agency, 2005)
About the EEA
The European Environment Agency is the leading
public body in Europe dedicated to providing
sound, independent information on the environment
to policy-makers and the public. Operational
in Copenhagen since 1994, the EEA is the hub
of the European environment information and
observation network (Eionet), a network of
around 300 bodies across Europe through which
it collects and disseminates environment-related
data and information. An EU body, the Agency
is open to all nations that share its objectives.
It currently has 31 member countries: the
25 EU Member States, three EU candidate countries
- Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey - and Iceland,
Liechtenstein and Norway.A membership agreement
has been initialled with Switzerland. The
West Balkan states - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
and Serbia and Montenegro - have applied for
membership of the Agency.
