EU economy greenhouse gas emissions during the first quarter of 2022 were still below the pre-COVID levels registered in the first quarter of 2019, but have nevertheless increased and are approaching pre-COVID levels compared to the same period in 2020 and 2021, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union.
When it comes to the increase of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of economic activity by member state, Cyprus has has the fifth largest increase (14%) during the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, above the EU average which is at 6%.
According to Eurostat, the documented increases were largely due to the effect of the economic rebound after the sharp decrease in activity due to the COVID-19 crisis.
According to Eurostat’s estimates for the first quarter of 2022 for all EU economies, a total of 1029 million tones of CO2-equivalents (a measure used to compare emissions from various greenhouse gases on the basis of their global warming potential) were emitted between January and March of this year.
Emissions showed a 7% and 6% increase compared with the same quarter of 2020 and 2021, but still below pre-COVID levels registered in the first quarter of 2019, when the EU economy emitted 1035 million tonnes of CO2-eq.
Emissions in the first quarter of 2022 increased in almost all EU Member States when compared with the same quarter of 2021. The Netherlands (a reduction of 9%) and Finland (a 1% reduction) were the only Member States that registered a decrease in emissions in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter of 2021.
Among the Member States with increased emissions in the same comparison period were Bulgaria (an increase of 38%), Malta (21% increase) and Ireland (20% increase).
Greenhouse gas emissions in Cyprus increased by 14% during the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.
Almost all EU Member States registered a reduction in emissions at the beginning of the pandemic, when comparing the first quarter of 2020 with the same quarter of 2019.
In Cyprus, emissions had increased by almost 1% (0.8%) during the first quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019.
In the first quarter of 2022, the economic sectors responsible for most emissions of greenhouse gases in the EU were households (24%), electricity, gas supply (21%) and manufacturing (20%), followed by agriculture (12%) and transportation and storage (10%).
Greenhouse gas emissions increased in all sectors compared with the same period of 2021, except for households which remained at the same level (245 million tonnes of CO2-eq.). The highest increases were recorded in transportation and storage (+21%), mining (+15%) and construction (+11%).
Source: Cyprus News Agency