According to data from Eurostat, greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) decreased by 2.9% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 compared to the same time in 2022. 941 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions (CO2-eq) were produced, down from 969 million tonnes in 2022.
A noteworthy achievement in balancing economic growth and environmental obligations was made in the same quarter when the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 1.2%.
Manufacturing (20%), power and gas supply (19%), agriculture (13%), and transportation and storage (10%) were the economic sectors most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions during this period. According to Eurostat, emissions declined in five of the nine economic sectors that were taken into account.
It’s interesting to note that emissions fell in almost all EU nations, except Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, where they rose by 9.1%, 7.5%, 1.7%, 1.6%, and 1.6%, respectively. The GDP of the same set of EU nations increased as well.
The highest decreases in greenhouse gas emissions were seen in Slovenia (minus 9.6%), Estonia (minus 14.7%), and Bulgaria (minus 15.2%).
Only six of the 21 EU nations that lowered their emissions—Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, and Poland—also saw a decline in their GDP. 15 EU nations, including Portugal, Croatia, Belgium, Malta, France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Romania, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, and Bulgaria, on the other hand, were able to reduce emissions while seeing GDP growth.
