Greenhouse gas emissions slightly up in 2016

04/09/2017 15:14

In 2016, greenhouse gas emissions were 1 percent up on the level of one year previously. Emissions rose in the chemical industry while more natural gas was used to heat homes and offices. At the same time, net emission levels at power stations were down. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this today based on new, preliminary figures obtained from The Netherlands Pollutant Release and Transfer Register.

Greenhouse gas emissions in 2016 amounted to 197 billion CO2 equivalents, which is 1 percent higher than in 2015 and 11 percent lower than in 1990. As a result of the court ruling in the Urgenda Climate Case, the Dutch government must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 25 percent compared to 1990 before 2020.

Greenhouse gas emissions
	Carbon dioxide	Methane	Nitrous oxide	Fluorinated gases
1990	8.5	17.7	32.3	162.9
1991	7.1	17.9	32.7	171.5
1992	8.2	18.1	32.3	171.3
1993	8.9	18.4	32.1	171.8
1994	10.7	17.9	31.1	175.2
1995	10.1	17.7	30.3	173.3
1996	12.4	17.8	29.6	182.8
1997	13.3	17.5	28.7	175.4
1998	14	16.9	27.5	176.5
1999	8	16.2	26.2	171
2000	6.9	15.7	25.1	172
2001	3.9	14.7	24.1	177.2
2002	4.8	13.9	22.7	176.4
2003	2.7	13.8	21.6	179.8
2004	2.5	14.2	21	181.4
2005	2.3	14.2	20.5	177.4
2006	2.5	14.1	20.1	172.8
2007	2.7	12.4	20.2	173.2
2008	2.7	8.6	20.3	176.2
2009	2.8	8.4	20.2	170.9
2010	3.1	8.1	20.1	182.8
2011	2.8	7.9	19.6	169.9
2012	2.7	7.8	19.2	165.8
2013	2.7	8	19.2	165.8
2014	2.5	8.1	18.8	158.3
2015	2.6	8.3	19	165.3
2016	2.6	8.2	18.6	167.2

Greenhouse gas emissions
	Carbon dioxide	Methane	Nitrous oxide	Fluorinated gases
1990	8.5	17.7	32.3	162.9
1991	7.1	17.9	32.7	171.5
1992	8.2	18.1	32.3	171.3
1993	8.9	18.4	32.1	171.8
1994	10.7	17.9	31.1	175.2
1995	10.1	17.7	30.3	173.3
1996	12.4	17.8	29.6	182.8
1997	13.3	17.5	28.7	175.4
1998	14	16.9	27.5	176.5
1999	8	16.2	26.2	171
2000	6.9	15.7	25.1	172
2001	3.9	14.7	24.1	177.2
2002	4.8	13.9	22.7	176.4
2003	2.7	13.8	21.6	179.8
2004	2.5	14.2	21	181.4
2005	2.3	14.2	20.5	177.4
2006	2.5	14.1	20.1	172.8
2007	2.7	12.4	20.2	173.2
2008	2.7	8.6	20.3	176.2
2009	2.8	8.4	20.2	170.9
2010	3.1	8.1	20.1	182.8
2011	2.8	7.9	19.6	169.9
2012	2.7	7.8	19.2	165.8
2013	2.7	8	19.2	165.8
2014	2.5	8.1	18.8	158.3
2015	2.6	8.3	19	165.3
2016	2.6	8.2	18.6	167.2

Higher CO2 emissions by chemical industry

Emissions of the gas carbon dioxide (CO2) alone amounted to 167 bn kg in 2016, nearly 2 bn kg more than in 2015. Increased economic activity in the chemical industry accounted for an increase of 1.5 bn kg CO2; at the same time, CO2 emissions rose by 0.8 bn kg due to increased natural gas consumption for homes and offices, while energy companies reduced CO2 emissions by 0.4 bn kg on balance relative to 2015.

Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2)
	Energy companies	Built environment	Manufacturing	Road transport	Other sources
1990	39.8	29.2	51.3	26.5	16.1
1991	40.6	33.3	53.7	26.8	17.1
1992	41	30.7	54.4	28.4	16.8
1993	42.1	33.1	50	29.2	17.4
1994	50.3	30.7	48.6	28.6	17
1995	47.9	32.3	46.7	29	17.5
1996	48.6	37.6	47.8	30.2	18.6
1997	48.7	31.9	47.3	30.2	17.3
1998	50.4	30.4	47.2	31	17.4
1999	47.3	28.9	46.1	31.5	17.2
2000	48.4	28.9	45.7	31.5	17.5
2001	52	30.7	45.3	31.7	17.4
2002	53	29.5	44.7	32.5	16.7
2003	53.8	30.6	45.7	33	16.7
2004	55	30.3	45.5	33.6	17
2005	52.2	28.5	45.4	33.8	17.6
2006	48	28.7	44.6	34.7	16.8
2007	50.6	25.6	45.4	34.1	17.5
2008	50	28.6	44.9	34.4	18.3
2009	49.9	28.6	41	33	18.4
2010	52	33.1	43.9	33.4	20.3
2011	47.7	25.9	43.5	33.6	19.2
2012	44.8	28.1	41.9	32.1	18.9
2013	44.9	29.3	41.1	31.2	19.3
2014	48.5	22.3	40.5	29.1	17.9
2015	52.8	23.7	41.3	29.4	18.1
2016	52.4	24.5	42.6	29.7	17.9

Carbon dioxide emissions (CO2)
	Energy companies	Built environment	Manufacturing	Road transport	Other sources
1990	39.8	29.2	51.3	26.5	16.1
1991	40.6	33.3	53.7	26.8	17.1
1992	41	30.7	54.4	28.4	16.8
1993	42.1	33.1	50	29.2	17.4
1994	50.3	30.7	48.6	28.6	17
1995	47.9	32.3	46.7	29	17.5
1996	48.6	37.6	47.8	30.2	18.6
1997	48.7	31.9	47.3	30.2	17.3
1998	50.4	30.4	47.2	31	17.4
1999	47.3	28.9	46.1	31.5	17.2
2000	48.4	28.9	45.7	31.5	17.5
2001	52	30.7	45.3	31.7	17.4
2002	53	29.5	44.7	32.5	16.7
2003	53.8	30.6	45.7	33	16.7
2004	55	30.3	45.5	33.6	17
2005	52.2	28.5	45.4	33.8	17.6
2006	48	28.7	44.6	34.7	16.8
2007	50.6	25.6	45.4	34.1	17.5
2008	50	28.6	44.9	34.4	18.3
2009	49.9	28.6	41	33	18.4
2010	52	33.1	43.9	33.4	20.3
2011	47.7	25.9	43.5	33.6	19.2
2012	44.8	28.1	41.9	32.1	18.9
2013	44.9	29.3	41.1	31.2	19.3
2014	48.5	22.3	40.5	29.1	17.9
2015	52.8	23.7	41.3	29.4	18.1
2016	52.4	24.5	42.6	29.7	17.9

More natural gas, less coal used in record-high electricity production

The share of coal in total electricity production was down to 32 percent in 2016 following an increase from 18 to 36 percent over previous years (2011-2015). The share held by natural gas rose to 46 percent, after having dropped from 60 percent in 2011 to 42 percent in 2015. This trend reversal is explained by the closure of three old coal-fired power stations and increased gas-fired power generation in 2016.

Electricity production by energy carrier
	Natural gas	Coal	Renewable	Other
2000	58.2	26	3.3	12.5
2001	57.8	26.5	3.5	12.2
2002	58	26.2	4.2	11.6
2003	57.2	26.4	4	12.4
2004	59.2	23.9	5.2	11.7
2005	57.8	22.9	7.4	11.9
2006	57.7	23.4	8.2	10.7
2007	57.9	23.4	7.2	11.5
2008	59.7	20.8	8.8	10.7
2009	60.3	20.6	9.5	9.6
2010	62.3	18.5	9.5	9.7
2011	60.1	18.4	10.9	10.6
2012	52.7	23.6	12.2	11.5
2013	53.6	24.3	12.1	10
2014	49.3	27.8	11.3	11.6
2015	41.7	35.9	12.4	10
2016	45.5	32.3	13	9.2

Electricity production by energy carrier
	Natural gas	Coal	Renewable	Other
2000	58.2	26	3.3	12.5
2001	57.8	26.5	3.5	12.2
2002	58	26.2	4.2	11.6
2003	57.2	26.4	4	12.4
2004	59.2	23.9	5.2	11.7
2005	57.8	22.9	7.4	11.9
2006	57.7	23.4	8.2	10.7
2007	57.9	23.4	7.2	11.5
2008	59.7	20.8	8.8	10.7
2009	60.3	20.6	9.5	9.6
2010	62.3	18.5	9.5	9.7
2011	60.1	18.4	10.9	10.6
2012	52.7	23.6	12.2	11.5
2013	53.6	24.3	12.1	10
2014	49.3	27.8	11.3	11.6
2015	41.7	35.9	12.4	10
2016	45.5	32.3	13	9.2

Substitution of coal with natural gas led to lower CO2 emissions; however, this reduction was largely offset by the extra natural gas consumption in electricity production that was needed to compensate for decreased electricity imports. This resulted in new record levels of electricity output in 2016.

Lower emissions intensity of the Dutch economy

In 2016, the chemical, petroleum and basic metals industries combined produced 78 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions in the manufacturing sector. These three industries generate merely 17 percent of the value added in total manufacturing. Together, the three industries account for the highest emissions intensity within the sector, almost five times higher than that of the entire manufacturing sector and over seven times higher than the intensity of the Dutch economy as a whole.
The food, beverages and tobacco industry accounted for 10 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions generated by the manufacturing sector in 2016. However, the share of this industry in total manufacturing value added is 21 percent. The emissions intensity of the food, beverages and tobacco industry is about half that of the entire manufacturing sector.
The emissions intensity of the overall economy in 2016 was around 42 percent lower than in 1990. This decrease was due to the growing share of the services sector and falling emissions intensity of the manufacturing sector. Another contributing factor in the lower emissions intensity of the Dutch economy are energy savings, both within and outside of the manufacturing sector.

Greenhouse gas intensity by industry, 2016*
	Share in emissions	Share in gross value added
Chemical industry	41	10.3
Petroleum industry	22.6	1.3
Basic metal industry	14.2	2.5
Food, beverages and tobacco industry	10.4	19.7
Other manufacturing	11.8	66.2

Greenhouse gas intensity by industry, 2016*
	Share in emissions	Share in gross value added
Chemical industry	41	10.3
Petroleum industry	22.6	1.3
Basic metal industry	14.2	2.5
Food, beverages and tobacco industry	10.4	19.7
Other manufacturing	11.8	66.2

Sources

StatLine - Emissions of greenhouse gases according to IPCC guidelines

Higher CO2 emissions by chemical industry

More natural gas, less coal used in record-high electricity production

Lower emissions intensity of the Dutch economy

Sources

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