Brussels: In the fourth quarter of 2024, the EU economy greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 897 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq), marking a 2.2% increase compared with the same quarter of 2023, which recorded emissions at 878 million tonnes of CO2-eq. During the same period, the EU's gross domestic product (GDP) registered a 1.5% increase compared with the fourth quarter of 2023.
According to Emirates News Agency, this information was derived from data on quarterly estimates for greenhouse gas emissions by economic activity published by Eurostat today. These quarterly estimates are intended to complement other socio-economic data, such as GDP or employment figures. The key findings are part of a more detailed Statistics Explained article on quarterly greenhouse gas emissions.
The data highlighted that the two economic sectors contributing most significantly to the increase in emissions were households, which saw a 5.2% rise, and the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector, which experienced a 4.6% increase.
Conversely, in the fourth quarter of 2024, six EU countries reported a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions compared to the same period in 2023. The most notable reductions were seen in Estonia, with an 11.3% decrease, followed by Finland at 6.1%, and Sweden at 2.3%.
Among these six EU countries, two-Latvia and Austria-also recorded a decline in GDP. However, the remaining four countries, namely Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Luxembourg, managed to reduce emissions while simultaneously achieving GDP growth.