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)

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: 13.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tilma/2015/tilma_2015_2017-10-05_tie_001_en.html