Emissions to air on Dutch territory; road traffic
| Means of transport | Periods | Emissions Carbon dioxide (CO2) (million kg) | Emissions Dinitrogen oxide (N2O) (million kg) | Emissions Methane (CH4) (million kg) | Emissions Carbon monoxide (CO) (million kg) | Emissions NMVOC (million kg) | Emissions Nitrogen oxides (NOx) (million kg) | Emissions Soot (million kg) | Emissions PM10 Total (Particulate matter) (million kg) | Emissions PM10 Combustion (Particulate matter) (million kg) | Emissions PM10 Wear (Particulate matter) (million kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total motor vehicles | 2023* | 26,965 | 1.25 | 1.98 | 160.04 | 20.85 | 53.00 | 0.37 | 3.58 | 0.73 | 2.85 |
| Passenger cars | 2023* | 15,514 | 0.73 | 1.37 | 129.69 | 10.81 | 17.94 | 0.09 | 2.07 | 0.24 | 1.83 |
| Motorcycles | 2023* | 258 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 13.32 | 1.53 | 0.57 | 0.01 | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
| Total vehicles with moped licence | 2023* | 62 | 0.00 | 0.07 | 7.56 | 1.68 | 0.10 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.00 |
| Light weight commercial motor vehicles | 2023* | 3,958 | 0.12 | 0.22 | 4.12 | 1.03 | 9.90 | 0.13 | 0.52 | 0.17 | 0.35 |
| Heavy weight commercial motor vehicles | 2023* | 6,849 | 0.37 | 0.20 | 5.08 | 5.68 | 23.78 | 0.14 | 0.87 | 0.26 | 0.61 |
| Buses | 2023* | 324 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.28 | 0.13 | 0.71 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| Source: CBS. | |||||||||||
Table explanation
This table contains figures on the actual air emissions in the Netherlands, generated by road traffic and including emissions by foreign vehicles. In addition, the derived average emissions per vehicle kilometre are given. These are expressed in grams of emissions per driven kilometre and are also called fleet emission factors.
The figures in this table cover exhaust emissions from the combustion of (motor) fuels, emissions from gasoline evaporation and emissions released from tire, road surface and brake wear.
Compared to the StatLine tables “Emissions to air on Dutch territory; mobile sources on emissions to air”, this table excludes NMVOC emissions from air conditioning and CO2 emissions from the use of lubricants.
In order to obtain a coherent and consistent time series, the complete time series is (re)calculated every year if necessary, so that the latest insights, in particular with regard to emission factors, can be included in the calculations.
Data available from: the actual emissions are available from 1990, and the fleet emission factors from 2004.
Status of the figures: Figures from 1990 onwards have a provisional status.
Changes as of 5 September 2024:
The provisional figures covering 2023 have been added.
When will new figures be published?
New provisional figures are expected 9 months after the end of the reporting year. Adjustments to the provisional figures will be published 14 months after the end of the reporting year.
Description topics
- Emissions
- Actual emissions to air from mobile sources on or above Dutch territory
Mobile source emissions are caused by the combustion of motor fuels, the evaporation of fuel and load residues (VOC), and PM10 and PM2.5 emissions from wear of tyres, brake linings and road surfaces. The emissions are calculated by multiplying data on activity, for instance vehicle kilometres, by emission factors.- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- CO2 is formed by the combustion of carbon in fuels. Greenhouse gas (causes the temperature of the earth's atmosphere to rise gradually).
- Dinitrogen oxide (N2O)
- Dinitrogen oxide (=laughing gas).
N2O is formed during various chemical conversion processes, particularly in agriculture through denitrification processes in manure and fertilisers, and also in the production of fertilisers, as well as in the production of nitric acid and in automotive catalysts.
It is a greenhouse gas (causes the temperature of the earth's atmosphere to rise gradually).
N2O arises from mobile sources mainly during the warming up phase of catalytic converters, as a result of incomplete conversion of nitrogen oxides (NOx) into nitrogen (N2).
- Methane (CH4)
- Methane (= natural gas).
Among other causes CH4 is formed by incomplete combustion of fuels, leakage from the natural gas network, and by fermentation. Greenhouse gas (causes the temperature of the earth's atmosphere to rise gradually).
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- CO is caused mainly by incomplete combustion of fuels.
It is a toxic gas (detrimental to health); fatal in high concentrations.
- NMVOC
- Non-methane volatile organic compounds.
Among others caused by incomplete combustion of fuels and evaporation of fuels, cooling agents, inland vessel load residues, and other chemical substances. VOC emissions are also formed during various industrial processes. Smog generating and sometimes carcinogenic.
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
- Nitrogen oxides are formed in the engine by burning nitrogen from the air. They cause acidification and play a role in smog formation.
- Soot
- Soot, or Elemental Carbon, consists of carbon with compounds such as metals and is created during incomplete combustion of, for example, diesel fuel. Petrol cars also create soot in the air. Soot can be used as an indicator in addition to particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).
- PM10 Total (Particulate matter)
- Particulate matter (particulates with diameter smaller than 10 micrometres).
PM10 is formed, among others, during the combustion of diesel fuel (“diesel smoke”), tyre and brake wear, all kinds of industrial processes and storage and transhipment. Particulate matter is detrimental to health. It penetrates deeply into the lungs.
Most of the particulate emissions from road traffic arise from the combustion of motor fuel. In addition, particulate matter is released during the wear of tyres, road surfaces and brake linings.
PM10 (particulate matter) is the total of PM10 Combustion (particulate matter) and PM10 Wear (particulate matter).
- PM10 Combustion (Particulate matter)
- Particulate matter (particulates with diameter smaller than 10 micrometres).
PM10 is formed, among others, during the combustion of diesel fuel (“diesel smoke”), tyre and brake wear, all kinds of industrial processes and storage and transhipment. Particulate matter is detrimental to health. It penetrates deeply into the lungs. PM10 Combustion concerns only the PM10 released during combustion of motor fuel.
- PM10 Wear (Particulate matter)
- Particulate matter (particulates with diameter smaller than 10 micrometres).
PM10 is formed, among others, during the combustion of diesel fuel (“diesel smoke”), tyre and brake wear, all kinds of industrial processes and storage and transhipment. Particulate matter is detrimental to health. It penetrates deeply into the lungs. PM10 Wear concerns only the PM10 released through wear from road surfaces, tyres and brakes.