According to Eurostat estimates for the first quarter of the year for the entire European Union, between January and March 2022 emissions amounted to 1,029 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (a unit of measuring effects of various greenhouse emissions on climate change).

These emissions represent an increase of 7% and 6% respectively compared to the same quarter in 2020 and 2021.

Despite this, emissions remained at lower levels than those recorded in the first quarter of 2019, when emissions as a result of economic activity in the EU totalled 1,035 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Greenhouse gas emissions were up in almost all Member States compared to the first quarter of 2021, with the only countries recording a decrease in 2022 being the Netherlands (down 9%) and Finland (down 1%).

“The documented increases were largely due to the effect of the economic rebound after the sharp decrease in activity due to the Covid-19 crisis,” Eurostat said.

The biggest increases between the first quarter of 2021 and 2022 were recorded in Bulgaria (up 38%), Malta (21%) and Ireland (20%).

As for Cyprus, it saw a 14% increase in emissions between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022, surpassing the EU average by 6%.

“When comparing the first quarter of 2020 with the same quarter of 2019, it revealed the opposite picture: almost all EU Member States registered a reduction in emissions at the beginning of the pandemic”.

In Cyprus, greenhouse gas emissions had increased by 0.8%% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.

The study also concluded that the economic sectors responsible for most emissions were households (24%), electricity/gas supply (21%) and manufacturing (20%), followed by agriculture (12%) and transportation and storage (10%).

Greenhouse gas emissions increased across all sectors compared to the first quarter of 2021, with the exception of household emissions which remained flat (245 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent).

The highest increases were recorded in transportation and storage (up 21%), mining (up 15%) and construction (up 11%).

Source: Cyprus Mail