Dutch emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases were about 11 percent lower in the first quarter of this year than in the same period last year. Statistics Netherlands and RIVM/Emission registration calculate that emissions decreased in most sectors. If international aviation and shipping are also included, plus emissions from the combustion of biomass, the decrease amounts to 9.9 percent.
In aviation, emissions rose sharply compared to a year earlier, by 49 percent compared to the first quarter of 2021. After a deep dip during the corona pandemic, much more is now being flown.
The transport sector as a whole has started to emit 13.5 percent more carbon dioxide (CO2). This increase is offset by a decrease in emissions from the electricity sector, industry, agriculture and the built environment. The main reason for this is that less natural gas is consumed.
High natural gas prices played a role, but the first quarter of 2022 was also relatively warmer than the same quarter in 2021. “The latter mainly has a dampening effect on natural gas consumption in the built environment.” This category includes homes and offices. High energy prices have brought down consumption, according to Statistics Netherlands.
Electricity is increasingly generated from sustainable sources, such as sun and wind. Yet more coal was burned at the beginning of this year. These are very polluting, but overall emissions from electricity production fell by 14 percent.
Petrol (plus 4 percent) and diesel (plus 8 percent) were again used more in the first quarter of this year than in the first three months of 2021. Yet the total emissions from mobility are still lower than before the corona pandemic.
Statistics Netherlands points out that the economy has grown strongly in the meantime: the gross domestic product increased by 7 percent in the same period. Economic growth and more CO2 emissions do not have to go hand in hand. “Production was significantly higher for almost all sectors of the economy, while CO2 emissions were lower,” CBS summarizes.