Cyprus’ greenhouse gas emissions drop

Cyprus’ greenhouse gas emissions from economic activity have fallen by 7.96 per cent during the first quarter of 2023, compared to the previous year, data from the European statistical service (Eurostat) showed.

Meanwhile, in the first quarter of the year GDP in Cyprus increased by 3.44 per cent.

In absolute numbers, Cyprus economy greenhouse gas emissions totalled 2.252 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq) during the first quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter in 2022 (2.447 million tonnes).

In the EU overall, greenhouse gas emissions resulting from economic activity totalled 941 million tonnes CO2-eq, compared with the same quarter of 2022 (969 million tonnes of CO2-eq).

Greenhouse gas emissions fell in 21 out of 24 EU member states between Q1 2022 and Q1 2023.

Of the 21 EU countries that decreased their emissions, only six also decreased their GDP (Czechia, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, and Poland), meaning 15 EU countries (Portugal, Croatia, Belgium, Malta, France, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Romania, Italy, Cyprus, Greece, Slovenia, and Bulgaria) managed to decrease emissions while growing their GDP.

The economic sectors responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions in the first quarter of 2023 were households (24 per cent), manufacturing (20 per cent), electricity and gas supply (19 per cent), agriculture (13 per cent), and transportation and storage (10 per cent).

Eurostat did not provide data on emissions by economic sector on the member state level.

The data show that, compared with the first quarter of 2022, emissions decreased in five out of nine economic sectors. The biggest decrease was registered in electricity and gas supply (12.3 per cent). The main sector in which emissions increased was transportation and storage (7.2 per cent)