Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) were 3 percent higher in the second quarter of this year than one year previously in the same period. The increase is mainly because the economy in Europe continued to recover after the corona crisis, Eurostat reports.
The figures appear while the UN climate summit is underway in Egypt.
The European statistics office calculates that the total emissions in the second quarter amounted to 905 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. CO2 (carbon dioxide) is not the only gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. Eurostat calculates the warming effect of stronger greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide back to that of CO2 to get one precise figure.
With a share of 23 percent, the industry contributes most to European emissions, followed by the energy sector (19 percent). This is followed by households (17 percent), transport and storage (14 percent) and agriculture (13 percent). Growth was most robust in the transport sector, where emissions rose by 8 percent. Emissions in the energy sector increased by 6 percent. On the other hand, households slowed down and emitted 8 percent less than a year earlier.
Eurostat does not give a clear explanation per subsector, but previous studies show that many Europeans have moderated their energy consumption after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, more use was made of polluting coal-fired power stations to generate electricity after the gas supply from Russia largely came to a standstill.