Early estimates of CO2 emissions from energy use In 2013, CO2 emissions in the EU28 estimated to have decreased by 2.5% compared with 2012

ESTAT-2002-11059-00-00-EN-TRA-00 (FR)

eurostat H newsrelease

STAT/14/74 7 May 2014

Early estimates of CO₂ emissions from energy use

In 2013, CO₂ emissions in the EU28 estimated to have decreased by 2.5% compared with 2012

Eurostat estimates that in 2013 carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from fossil fuel combustion decreased by 2.5% in the EU28, compared with the previous year, after a fall of 1.6%¹ in 2012. CO₂ emissions are a major contributor to global warming and account for around 80% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. They are influenced by factors such as climate conditions, economic growth, size of the population, transport and industrial activities². Various EU energy efficiency initiatives aim to reduce emissions of CO₂ and other greenhouse gases. It should also be noted that imports and exports of energy products have an impact on CO₂ emissions in the country where fossil fuels are burned: for example if coal is imported this leads to an increase in emissions, while if electricity is imported, it has no direct effect on emissions in the importing country, as these would be reported in the exporting country where it is produced.

Today, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, publishes early estimates³ of CO₂ emissions from energy use for 2013, only four months after the end of the reference year.

CO₂ emissions fell in twenty-two Member States in 2013

In 2013, the Member State with the highest level of CO₂ emissions in absolute terms was Germany (760 million tons), followed by the United Kingdom (455 mn tons), France (346 mn tons), Italy (342 mn tons), Poland (290 mn tons), Spain (224 mn tons) and the Netherlands (162 mn tons). These seven Member States accounted together for 77% of total EU28 CO₂ emissions in 2013.

Eurostat estimates that from 2012 to 2013 CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion decreased in nearly all Member States, except Denmark (+6.8%), Estonia (+4.4%), Portugal (+3.6%), Germany (+2.0%), France (+0.6%) and Poland (+0.3%). The largest decreases were recorded in Cyprus (-14.7%), Romania (-14.6%), Spain (-12.6%), Slovenia (-12.0%), Bulgaria and Greece (both -10.2%).

Change in CO₂ emissions, 2013/2012 (2013 estimated)

CO₂ emissions from energy use