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Revisions in these statistics

The emission and removal figures for the greenhouse gas inventory become revised every year in the entire time series, because constant improvements are made to the inventory, taking into account the international review recommendations of inventories and the development of the scientific basis for emission calculation methods. In addition, the preliminary data are based on more detailed activity data than the instant preliminary data, which is compiled when not all the necessary data are yet available. The changes in calculations are described in the annual National Inventory Report submitted to the UN and the EU.

The now released preliminary total emissions without the LULUCF sector for 2020 are 0.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (0.4%) lower than in the instant preliminary data released in May. Emissions from both the energy sector and industrial processes and product use are 0.08 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent lower than in the instant preliminary data, which is mainly due to the revisions in the emission coefficients for the recovery of F-gases and in the allocation of emissions from energy and process-based steel production. Emissions from agriculture are 0.06 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent lower than in the instant preliminary data. The emission data of the waste sector are on level with those given in the instant preliminary data.

For the LULUCF sector, calculation of the net sink becomes revised yearly for the penultimate years. This is due to utilisation of updated data, e.g. national forest inventory data, in the calculation. These data affect, e.g. the areas and growing stock which, in turn, affect the litter input to the soil and thus the soil carbon stock. According to the preliminary data of the latest release, the net sink of the LULUCF sector for 2020 is 5.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent lower than in the instant preliminary data based on more incomplete data published in May (see review of this release).

Revision of Finland's greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions expressed in million tonnes CO2 equivalent

	Statistical reference year	Previous release, 21 May 2021	Latest release, 16 December 2021	Change 1)
		Mill. t CO2 eq.		%
Total emissions (without LULUCF sector) 2)	1990	71.2	71.2	-0.1
	2005	69.9	69.9	0.0
	2010	75.7	75.7	0.0
	2015	55.1	55.0	-0.2
	2016	58.1	57.9	-0.2
	2017	55.3	55.1	-0.3
	2018	56.3	56.2	-0.3
	2019	53.1	52.8	-0.5
	2020	48.3 5)	48.1 4)	-0.4
LULUCF sector 2)	1990	-13.5	-13.4	-0.8
	2005	-20.5	-20.5	-0.2
	2010	-20.8	-21.7	4.3
	2015	-17.9	-18.8	4.6
	2016	-16.9	-17.7	4.2
	2017	-15.7	-16.3	3.9
	2018	-8.2	-7.4	-10.4
	2019	-14.7	-13.5	-7.9
	2020	-23.0 5)	-17.2 4)	-24.9
Emissions not included in the Emissions Trading System 3)	2013	31.2	31.2	0.1
	2014	29.8	29.8	0.0
	2015	29.5	29.5	0.0
	2016	30.7	30.6	-0.2
	2017	30.0	39.9	-0.2
	2018	29.9	29.8	-0.2
	2019	29.6	29.4	-0.9
	2020	28.6 5)	28.4 4)	-0.7

1) Change between the latest and previous releases
2) LULUCF refers to the land use, land-use change and forestry sector
3) Excluding CO2 emissions from domestic civil aviation
4) Preliminary data
5) Proxy estimate

Source: Greenhouse gas inventory unit. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Pia Forsell +358 29 551 2937, Päivi Lindh +358 29 551 3778, Sini Niinistö (LULUCF) +358 29 551 2954, kasvihuonekaasut@stat.fi

Head of Department in charge: Katri Kaaja

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Updated 16.12.2021