Bulgaria reported the biggest decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of all EU countries in the second quarter of 2023, reporting a 23.7% decline in emissions on a year-on-year basis.
This is on top of a 15.7% decrease in the first quarter of the year.
Estonia, which reported a 23.1% decline in GHG emissions, and the Netherlands, which reported a 10.3% decline in emissions, were the only other EU countries to report a double-digit decline, according to the Eurostat data.
Notable declines were also reported, however, in Czechia (-8.2%), Poland (-7.8%), Slovenia (-7.4%), Romania (-7.2%) and Germany (-6.8%).
GHG emission reduction
In total, GHG emissions decreased in 21 European countries, compared with the same period last year.
In the second quarter, EU GHG emissions totalled 821 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq), a -5.3% decrease compared with the same quarter last year (867 million tonnes of CO2-eq).
Increases were registered, however, in Malta (+7.7%), Latvia (+4.5%), Ireland (+3.6%), Lithuania (+3.0%), Cyprus (+1.7%) and Croatia (+1.0%), the data showed.
Emissions by sector
In the second quarter of 2023, the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions were the manufacturing sector (23.5%), households (17.9%), electricity and gas supply (15.5%), agriculture (14.3%), and transportation and storage (12.8%).
The most significant reduction occurred in the energy (electricity and gas supply) sector, showing a decrease of 22.0%. Conversely, the transportation and storage sector experienced a modest increase of 1.7%, marking the main area where emissions rose during this period.
Top countries by GHG emissions reduction, Q2 2023
| Country | GHG Emissions Reduction (%) |
|---|---|
| Bulgaria | -23.7% |
| Estonia | -23.1% |
| Netherlands | -10.3% |
| Czechia | -8.2% |
| Poland | -7.8% |
| Slovenia | -7.4% |
| Romania | -7.2% |
| Germany | -6.8% |
| Finland | -5.9% |
| Hungary | -5.4% |
| European Union – 27 countries | -5.3% |
| Italy | -5.1% |
| Spain | -4.3% |
| Portugal | -3.9% |
| Denmark | -3.5% |
| Luxembourg | -3.3% |
| Austria | -2.1% |
| France | -2.0% |
| Belgium | -1.4% |
| Sweden | -0.9% |
| Greece | -0.8% |
| Slovakia | -0.2% |
| Croatia | 1.0% |
| Cyprus | 1.7% |
| Lithuania | 3.0% |
| Ireland | 3.6% |
| Latvia | 4.5% |
| Malta | 7.7% |
