Emissions of air polluting substances according to NEC guide-lines

Emissions of air polluting substances according to NEC guide-lines

NEC sectors Emissions to air Periods Emission to air (million kgs)
Total stationary and mobile sources Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 121.7
Total stationary and mobile sources Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 154.4
Total stationary and mobile sources Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 17.9
Total stationary and mobile sources NMVOC 2023* 149.1
Total stationary and mobile sources PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 14.1
Stationary sources; total Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 117.9
Stationary sources; total Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 47.4
Stationary sources; total Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 17.2
Stationary sources; total NMVOC 2023* 120.3
Stationary sources; total PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 10.9
Energy sector Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
Energy sector Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 14.1
Energy sector Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 9.6
Energy sector NMVOC 2023* 5.1
Energy sector PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.2
06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 1.9
06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas NMVOC 2023* 1.8
06 Extraction of crude petroleum and gas PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.0
192 Manufacture of refined petroleum Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
192 Manufacture of refined petroleum Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 4.9
192 Manufacture of refined petroleum Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 8.0
192 Manufacture of refined petroleum NMVOC 2023* 3.0
192 Manufacture of refined petroleum PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.2
35 Energy supply Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
35 Energy supply Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 7.3
35 Energy supply Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 1.6
35 Energy supply NMVOC 2023* 0.3
35 Energy supply PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.1
Industry and waste Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 2.5
Industry and waste Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 20.8
Industry and waste Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 7.1
Industry and waste NMVOC 2023* 28.5
Industry and waste PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 3.1
10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.5
10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 1.5
10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.3
10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages NMVOC 2023* 5.7
10-12 Manufacture of food and beverages PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.3
13-15 Man. of textile-, leatherproducts Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
13-15 Man. of textile-, leatherproducts Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.1
13-15 Man. of textile-, leatherproducts Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
13-15 Man. of textile-, leatherproducts NMVOC 2023* 0.4
13-15 Man. of textile-, leatherproducts PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.0
16 Manufacture of wood products Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
16 Manufacture of wood products Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.1
16 Manufacture of wood products Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
16 Manufacture of wood products NMVOC 2023* 0.2
16 Manufacture of wood products PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.1
17 Manufacture of paper Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
17 Manufacture of paper Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.5
17 Manufacture of paper Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
17 Manufacture of paper NMVOC 2023* 0.2
17 Manufacture of paper PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.1
18 Printing and reproduction Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
18 Printing and reproduction Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.0
18 Printing and reproduction Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
18 Printing and reproduction NMVOC 2023* 2.3
18 Printing and reproduction PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.0
201 Manufacture of basic chemicals Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.4
201 Manufacture of basic chemicals Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 6.9
201 Manufacture of basic chemicals Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 1.0
201 Manufacture of basic chemicals NMVOC 2023* 1.8
201 Manufacture of basic chemicals PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.4
Chemical and pharmaceutical products Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
Chemical and pharmaceutical products Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.5
Chemical and pharmaceutical products Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
Chemical and pharmaceutical products NMVOC 2023* 1.5
Chemical and pharmaceutical products PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.2
23 Manufacture of building materials Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.4
23 Manufacture of building materials Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 2.7
23 Manufacture of building materials Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 2.3
23 Manufacture of building materials NMVOC 2023* 0.3
23 Manufacture of building materials PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 1.2
24 Basic metal industry Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
24 Basic metal industry Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 4.5
24 Basic metal industry Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 3.0
24 Basic metal industry NMVOC 2023* 1.1
24 Basic metal industry PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.6
25-28 Man metal products, machinery Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
25-28 Man metal products, machinery Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.3
25-28 Man metal products, machinery Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
25-28 Man metal products, machinery NMVOC 2023* 8.2
25-28 Man metal products, machinery PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.2
29-30 Transport equipment Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
29-30 Transport equipment Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.1
29-30 Transport equipment Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
29-30 Transport equipment NMVOC 2023* 4.1
29-30 Transport equipment PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.0
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 110.4
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 4.2
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.1
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing NMVOC 2023* 2.1
A Agriculture, forestry and fishing PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.6
22,31-32 Other industry Ammonia (NH3) 2023* 0.0
22,31-32 Other industry Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 2023* 0.1
22,31-32 Other industry Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 2023* 0.0
22,31-32 Other industry NMVOC 2023* 2.1
22,31-32 Other industry PM2.5 (Particulate matter) 2023* 0.0
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


The table contains annual figures on the emissions of a number of air pollutants in the Netherlands as calculated according to the European NEC guidelines.
In 2001, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe drew up a directive on national emission ceilings for cross-border air pollution. The directive is simply called the NEC directive. NEC stands for 'National Emission Ceilings'. Until 2020, the directive determined for each Member State the maximum amount of a number of air pollutants that could be emitted annually. As of 2020, the system of national emission ceilings has been replaced by one of national emission reduction obligations.
The guidelines relate to sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), volatile organic compounds excluding methane (NMVOC) and particulate matter PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres).
The emissions, expressed in kilograms, are broken down by NEC sectors: Energy, Transport, Industry, Agriculture, Waste and Other stationary and mobile sources.

Data available from: 1990.
Due to insufficient data quality, the years 1991 to 1994 and 1996 to 1999 are not shown.

Status of the figures:
The figures from 1990 to 2022 are final. In order to obtain a consistent time series the complete data set is (re)calculated when necessary, so as to be able to include the latest insights in the survey, especially in the case of emission factors.

Changes as of 5 September 2024:
Addition of provisional figures 2023.

When will new figures be available?
Final figures for 1990 to 2023 will be published in February 2025.

Description topics

Emission to air
The emissions of air pollutants in the Netherlands; expressed in kilograms and broken down by NEC sectors.