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Published: 5 October 2017

Emissions into air by Finns decreased in 2015

Correction on 29 January 2018. Greenhouse gas emissions reported as CO2 equivalent tonnes have been corrected. The corrections are caused by incorrect multipliers. The corrected figures are indicated in red.

Greenhouse gas emissions produced by Finnish residents in Finland and abroad amounted to 59 million tonnes in 2015, which was around six per cent less than in 2014. Emissions not included in greenhouse gases also fell from the year before. For example, fine particulate emissions went down by over six per cent from one year earlier, being 31,000 tonnes in 2015, while sulphur dioxide emissions fell by around16 per cent to close on 42,000 tonnes. Among the industries, the fall was biggest in energy supply, where greenhouse gas emissions went down by slightly over 18 per cent from the previous year. As a result of the fall, energy supply was no longer the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions, unlike in previous years. In 2015, the share of manufacturing in greenhouse gas emissions was biggest, 24 per cent, the share of energy supply was 23 per cent, that of transportation and storage 16 per cent, and that of agriculture 13 per cent.

Greenhouse gas emissions by industry 2014 and 2015, million tonnes CO2 equivalent (Corrected on 29 January 2018)

Greenhouse gas emissions by industry 2014 and 2015, million tonnes CO2 equivalent (Corrected on 29 January 2018)

The main reason for the fall in greenhouse gas emissions was the decreased use of fossil fuels, such as hard coal and natural gas, and the increased use of renewable energy in the production of electricity and heat. As the use of fossil fuels, particularly hard coal, has decreased in energy supply, sulphur dioxide emissions have fallen by 15 per cent from the previous year and nitrogen dioxide emissions by around 13 per cent.

In other industries, greenhouse gas emissions remained mainly on the level of 2014. In manufacturing, transportation and storage, and agriculture the fall was under one per cent year-on-year. However, the Sulphur Directive that came into force at the beginning of 2015 decreased sulphur dioxide emissions in water transport to under one quarter from the previous year. As a result of the Directive, fine particulate emissions in water transport declined by around 33 per cent.

Greenhouse gas emissions produced by households remained almost on level with the previous year, down by around two per cent. Households’ share of greenhouse gas emissions was around 12 per cent.

Emissions into air by industry groups 2015, tonnes

Corrected on 29 January 2018. The corrected numbers are indicated in red.
  Greenhouse gases (CO2-foss, CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, SF6) CO2-eq. Carbon dioxide emissions from biomass (CO2-bio) Particles, < 10 m (PM 10) Carbon monoxide (CO) Ammonia (NH3)
Agriculture, fishing and aquaculture, hunting 7 744 794 664 728 2 642 16 478 28 818
Forestry 314 767 6 967 106 6 503 4
Mining and quarrying 397 449 5 048 2 024 1 542 0 1)
Food industry 281 348 33 743 99 249 0
Forest industry 3 160 104 19 757 577 2 647 24 047 18
Oil refining and manufacture of chemicals 4 343 776 131 226 582 1 181 404
Manufacture of basic metals and fabricated metal products 5 124 891 2 637 302 1 601 73
Other industries 1 465 298 84 706 184 316 148
Energy management 13 797 951 10 449 290 1 110 18 590 11
Water supply and waste management 2 505 249 335 402 94 581 112
Construction 1 268 147 98 117 579 7 077 43
Trade 806 597 33 613 78 520 9
Land transport 3 575 480 690 936 2 341 5 910 283
Water transport 2 399 997 182 524 1 071 8 141 4
Air transport 3 175 090 28 653 334 5 567 21
Support activities for transportation, postal activities 95 931 20 781 364 511 2
Real estate activities 75 492 24 232 33 423 3
Other service activities and administration 1 724 471 294 844 929 22 430 92
Households 6 779 766 5 821 661 15 663 219 031 1 765
TOTAL 59 036 598 38 666 685 31 182 340 698 31 810
1) Magnitude less than half of unit employed.

Statistics Finland's statistics on emissions into air by industry also include sulphur and nitrogen dioxide emissions, as well as emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC).

The statistics on emissions into air by industry are calculated according to the EU Regulation on environmental accounts. The industrial classification and division used in the statistics differ from the sector division used in the reporting of the greenhouse gas emissions to the UNFCCC. The statistics do not take into consideration the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by forest or other vegetation either.

Differing from the greenhouse gas inventory and greenhouse gas reporting, the statistics on emissions into air by industry also contain Finnish residents' emissions from land, water and air transport abroad. In turn, emissions by foreign citizens from transport on Finnish territory are subtracted from the emissions into air by industry. The definition of transport corresponds with the methods of national accounts in which households' transport is included in private consumption. Due to definitional differences, the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions by industry is higher than in the Greenhouse Gas Inventory reported to the UNFCCC.


Source: Emissions into air by industry 2015, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Juuso Peltola 029 551 2330, ymparistotilinpito@stat.fi

Director in charge: Ville Vertanen

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Updated 5.10.2017

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Emissions into air by industry [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-7600. 2015. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 28.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tilma/2015/tilma_2015_2017-10-05_tie_001_en.html