EU greenhouse gas emissions drop 7.1% in Q3 2023

16 Feb '24

2 min read

Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

In Q3 2023, EU greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 7.1 per cent, reaching 787 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents, while GDP varied by -0.2 per cent.
Key sectors, like electricity and gas supply, saw reductions.
Estonia led with a 30.7 per cent decrease.
Though some nations, such as Malta and Cyprus, saw emissions rise, others achieved economic growth.

In the third quarter of 2023, greenhouse gas emissions in European Union (EU) saw a significant decrease of 7.1 per cent, amounting to 787 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq), compared to 847 million tonnes recorded during the same period in 2022. This data, released by Eurostat, reflects a positive trend towards environmental sustainability while maintaining stable economic performance, with GDP showing only a slight variation of -0.2 per cent.

Key contributors to this reduction include the electricity and gas supply sector, which demonstrated a decrease of 23.7 per cent, followed by households (-6.5 per cent) and manufacturing (-4.9 per cent), Eurostat said in a press release.

Across the EU, 23 member states witnessed a decline in greenhouse gas emissions, with notable reductions observed in Estonia (-30.7 per cent), Bulgaria (-18.6 per cent), and Germany (-12.2 per cent). However, a few nations, including Malta (+7.7 per cent), Cyprus (+3.7 per cent), Latvia (+3.4 per cent), and Slovakia (+0.9 per cent), experienced an increase in emissions. Despite this, some of these countries managed to achieve economic growth alongside their emission increases.

The Eurostat data also reveals a correlation between emissions reduction and economic performance. Among the nations witnessing a decline in emissions, 11 also experienced a corresponding decline in GDP, while 11 others achieved the remarkable feat of reducing emissions while simultaneously achieving economic growth.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)

More Eurostat News... More Textiles News - Europe...