Trends in greenhouse gas emissions

This article presents trends in emissions of all greenhouse gases, namely: carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) and natrium trifluoride (NF 3 ). In line with the EU international headline target of 20 % reduction of GHG emissions by 2020, data presented in this article include emissions from international aviation and exclude emissions or removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF).

The driving forces behind GHG (e.g. increased energy use, etc.) are not discussed here, nor are the impacts of climate change on human activities. For an analysis of the driving forces behind emissions, based on Eurostat statistics, see the article Climate change - driving forces.

In 2018, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-27 were down by 21 % compared with 1990 levels, representing an absolute reduction of 1 018 million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalents, putting the EU on track to surpass its 2020 target, which is to reduce GHG emissions by 20 % by 2020 and by 40 % by 2030 compared with 1990.



(Index 1990 = 100)

Source: Eurostat Figure 1: Total greenhouse gas emissions (including international aviation, excluding LULUCF) trend, EU-27, 1990–2018(Index 1990 = 100)Source: Eurostat (env_air_gge) , European Environment Agency

Figure 1 shows that there was a general downward trend to emissions during the 1990–1999 period (aside from a relative peak in 1996, when a cold winter led to an increase in heating requirements). From 1999 to 2008 the evolution of greenhouse gas emissions within the EU-27 remained relatively unchanged. The year 2009 saw a sharp drop in emissions as a consequence of the global financial and economic crisis and the resulting reduced industrial activity. Emissions increased in 2010 and decreased again from 2011 onward. Between 2015 and 2017, GHG emissions had slightly been increasing. In 2018 emissions decreased by 2.1 % (83.6 million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalents) compared to 2017 levels.

Across EU Member States in 2018, greenhouse gas emissions were the highest in Germany (23 % of the EU-27 total or 889 million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalents), followed by France and Italy. The biggest decreases compared with 1990 were reported for Lithuania (– 57 %), Latvia (– 54 %) and Romania (– 53 %). On the other side of the spectrum, the biggest increases compared with 1990 were reported for Cyprus (+ 54 %), Spain (+ 20 %) and Portugal (+ 19 %) . (See Table 1 and Figure 2).



(million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalents)

Source: Eurostat Table 1: Total greenhouse gas emissions (including international aviation, excluding LULUCF), by country, 1990–2018(million tonnes of CO-equivalents)Source: Eurostat (env_air_gge) , European Environment Agency







(Index 1990 = 100)

Source: Eurostat Figure 2: Total greenhouse gas emissions (including international aviation, excluding LULUCF), by country, 2018(Index 1990 = 100)Source: Eurostat (env_air_gge) , European Environment Agency

Figure 3 shows the EU-27 greenhouse gas emissions broken down by main source sectors. 'Fuel combustion and fugitive emissions from fuels (without transport)' was responsible for 53 % of EU-27 greenhouse gas emissions in 2018. In 1990 this source sector was even more dominant at 62 %. Fuel combustion for transport (including international aviation) was the second largest source sector with 25 % in 2018; it has increased its contribution significantly since 1990 (15 %). Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture contributed with 10 % to EU-27 total greenhouse gas emissions. Industrial processes and product use contributed another 9 %. Management of waste contributed with 3 %.