Greenhouse emissions up in Cyprus, decline across rest of EU over past 30 years

Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Cyprus have risen steadily in the past three decades from 1990 to 2020 compared to the rest of the European Union, which recorded a decline in most sectors, according to data produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and re-published by Eurostat.

In the case of Cyprus, GHG emissions increased from 6.3 million tonnes CO2-eq in 1990 to 9.2 million tonnes in 2020.

GHG emissions for Cyprus increased steadily from 1990 to 2008, when they reached 10.9 million tonnes, before gradually falling to 8.7 million tonnes in 2013.

Emissions started increasing again after 2013, reaching 10.0 million tonnes in 2017, and have been falling since.

The largest part of GHG emissions for Cyprus is due to the energy sector (6.4 million tonnes in 2020, increased compared to 1990 when it was at 4.0 million) and industrial processes (1.3 million tonnes in 2020, compared to 0.7 million tonnes in 1990).

Meanwhile in the rest of Europe, the only category where GHG emissions have not declined is that of fuel combustion in transport, including international aviation. This sector increased by 50 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq) (+7%) in 2020 compared with 1990.

CO2-eq is a unit used to measure the potential effect on global warming of various greenhouse gases, using the global warming potential of carbon dioxide as a basis.

Over all source sectors, the EU managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1546 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents between 1990 and 2020.

The largest absolute decrease in emissions in the EU between 1990 and 2020 occurred in the fuel combustion by energy industries, which mainly produce electricity, heat and derived fuels (a reduction of 657 million tonnes of CO2-eq), followed by manufacturing industries and construction (a 322 million tonnes reduction) and households, commerce, institutions and others (a 215 million tonnes reduction).

In terms of relative change, these three sectors registered a 46 per cent, 44 per cent and 29 per cent drop, respectively, in emissions in 2020 compared with 1990.

Fugitive emissions from fuels show the largest relative change in 2020 compared with 1990 at -59%, but the share in the overall total is much less (1.8% of the total GHG emissions).