Emissions in the energy sector fell by nearly 7 per cent in 2024 – the land use sector a significant source of emissions

Emissions are falling except for the land use sector

According to the instant preliminary data, total emissions without the land use sector fell by six per cent in 2024 from the previous year. Emissions have fallen by 46 per cent from the comparison year 1990 and by 55 per cent from 2003, when emissions were at their highest during the 1990 to 2024 time series. Total emissions do not include land-use sector emissions and removals, unless separately mentioned. In the instant preliminary data, emissions and removals for 2024 are calculated at a less detailed level and with less detailed methods (in Finnish) than emissions and removals for previous years.

The energy sector was the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Finland, accounting for 69 per cent (26.6 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) of total emissions in 2024. Emissions in the sector went down by 1.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent from 2023, which corresponded to a fall of nearly seven per cent. The use of hard coal and peat decreased in particular, as a result of which emissions caused by incineration decreased by 0.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent for hard coal and 0.6 million tonnes for peat. The decrease in emissions was affected by growth in production of renewable energy, especially wind power, and increased net imports of electricity. More information on the development of energy consumption can be found in the review of the energy statistics released on 16 April 2025.

Emissions from transport increased by 0.4 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent mainly as a result of the fallen biofuel share of transport fuels.

Emissions from industrial processes and product use (incl. F-gases) made up around 11 per cent (4.4 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) of total emissions in 2024 and they fell by nearly six per cent (0.3 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) from the previous year. The main reason for the decrease in emissions was the nearly one quarter fall in emissions from the mineral industry (0.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent), which resulted from decreased clinker production needed for the manufacture of cement. Emissions from the chemical and metal industries remained almost on level with the previous year.

The share of emissions of F-gases was close on two per cent (0.6 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) of total emissions in 2024 and they fell by 11 per cent compared to 2023. Emissions from the use of refrigeration and cooling equipment in retail trade and from air conditioning equipment in vehicles fell most. In particular, the transition to natural or alternative refrigerants has decreased F-gas emissions in the past ten years. Emissions from the use of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment accounted for around 91 per cent of the emissions of F-gases.

Emissions from agriculture accounted for around 16 per cent (6.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) of total emissions calculated without the land use sector in 2024. Total emissions from agriculture fell by around one per cent from the previous year's level. A small decrease in the number of animals reduced emissions from enteric fermentation. On the other hand, emissions from manure management went up due to warmer weather conditions.

The share of emissions from the waste sector was close on four per cent (1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) of total emissions without the land use sector in 2024. The falling trend of the waste sector continued as emissions decreased by six per cent from the previous year.

Land use sector

According to the instant preliminary data, the sum of emissions and removals in the land use, land-use change and forestry sector, or the LULUCF sector was 13.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2024, which means that it was net emission source as in previous years. The sector's emissions grew by 1.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent compared to the previous year.

In forest land, emissions also exceeded the amount of carbon sequestration in different pools during the year, that is, forest land was a net emission source in 2024 similarly as the other land use categories. Net emissions from forest land were 4.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, which was 2.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent more than in the year before. The net sink of biomass from the pool of living trees decreased by 3.9 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent due to increased natural drain and roundwood removals (see also OSF Natural Resources Institute Finland, roundwood removals and drain). New estimates for natural drain and deadwood for 2024 based on the 13th National Forest Inventory were introduced in the instant preliminary calculation. The combined net emissions of the carbon pool of soil, litter and dead wood in mineral and peat soil on forest land declined by 1.0 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent because increased natural drain and timber removals increased the forest litter input to the soil.

Net emissions from cropland amounted to 7.7 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2024, which is 11 per cent lower than in 2023. For cropland, changes in carbon stocks were calculated for mineral soils, while emission estimates based on the surface areas of the previous year were used for organic soils, that is, peat land. Mineral soils on cropland do not have a clear long-term trend, but annual changes are caused by variations in the crop yield and weather.

The net sink of harvested wood products in 2024 (-2.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) increased by 29 per cent from the previous year due to increased production of sawn wood, plywood and mechanical and semi-chemical pulp. Chemical Pulp pulp production decreased by 0.4 per cent, and the production volumes for 2023 were used for other wood panels.

In the calculation of the instant preliminary data (in Finnish), instant preliminary estimates for 2024 were calculated for forest land, cropland and harvested wood products while the figures for 2023 were used for the other land use categories. The estimate of the sum of emissions and removals in the land use sector, that is, of the size of the sector's sink or source of emissions, will become more accurate in the following release, when updated data on surface areas, growing stock, fertilisation and wildfires become available for the calculation. In the next release, the new estimates of natural drain and deadwood introduced in the instant preliminary data for 2024 are will also be updated in the time series.

Emissions in the effort sharing sector

Total emissions (excl. land use sector) are divided in EU reporting into emissions from the EU's General Emissions Trading (ETS1) and in the effort sharing sector. According to the instant preliminary data, emissions in the effort sharing sector amounted to 25.4 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent in 2024, and they fell by close on one per cent from the previous year. Emissions included in the EU's Emissions Trading System fell by 14 per cent from the previous year, being 13.3 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.

The EU's Effort Sharing Regulation defines the emission reduction targets for emissions outside the emissions trading sector. Annual, tightening emission allocations have been set for all Member States. The instant preliminary data for 2024 on Finland's emissions in the effort sharing sector are 0.1 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent higher than the annual emission allocation set for the year in question.

Instant preliminary data will be revised in future

In the instant preliminary data, the emissions and removals for 2024 are calculated at a less detailed level and with less detailed methods than the data for previous years. They will be specified as all data used in the calculation are completed. Preliminary data of the statistics on greenhouse gases will be released in December 2025 and official data in March 2026. More detailed information about the calculation methods of the instant preliminary data can be found in the methodological description (in Finnish).

Greenhouse gas inventory

Statistics Finland is the national responsible unit of the greenhouse gas inventory. Statistics Finland guides the inventory work, and compiles and submits the data to the UNFCCC, the Paris Agreement and the EU Commission. Statistics Finland, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) participate in the production of the statistical data for the greenhouse gas inventory.