Smoke coming out of power plant chimneys.

In the third quarter of 2023, EU economy greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 787 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq), a -7.1% decrease compared with the same quarter of 2022 (847 million tonnes of CO2-eq). The EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) remained stable, registering just a small variation (-0.2% in the third quarter of 2023, compared with the same quarter of 2022). 

This information comes from data on quarterly estimates for greenhouse gas emissions by economic activity published by Eurostat today. Quarterly estimates of greenhouse gas emissions complement quarterly socio-economic data, such as GDP or employment. This article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on quarterly greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions by the economy and GDP, EU, Q3 2020 - Q3 2023, million tonnes of CO2-equivalents, chain linked volumes (2015) million €. Chart. See the link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: env_ac_aigg_q and namq_10_gdp

In the third quarter of 2023, the economic sectors responsible for the largest reductions compared to the third quarter of 2022 were electricity and gas supply (- 23.7%), households (-6.5%) and manufacturing (-4.9%). 

Greenhouse gas emissions down in 23 EU countries 

In the third quarter of 2023, greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to have decreased in 23 EU countries, when compared with the third quarter of 2022. Increases are estimated for Malta (+7.7%), Cyprus (+3.7%), Latvia (+3.4%) and Slovakia (0.9%). Among these 4 EU members, 3 had a GDP increase: Malta (+7.1%), Cyprus (+2.5%) and Slovakia (+1.1%).

The largest reductions in greenhouse gases are estimated for Estonia (-30.7%), Bulgaria (-18.6%) and Germany (-12.2%).

Growth rates of greenhouse gas emissions by the economy and GDP, Q3 2023, % change compared with the same quarter of the previous year. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: env_ac_aigg_q and namq_10_gdp

Out of the 23 EU members that are estimated to have decreased their emissions, 11 also recorded a decline in their GDP (Ireland, Estonia, Austria, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Czechia, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Hungary). Italy maintained its GDP at the same level as in the third quarter of 2022 while decreasing its GHG emissions. The other 11 EU countries (Romania, Croatia, Greece, Portugal, Bulgaria, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, France, Lithuania) are estimated to have managed to decrease emissions while growing their GDP.

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Methodological notes

  • Metadata on quarterly greenhouse gas emissions 
  • Greenhouse gases cause climate change. The so-called ‘Kyoto basket’ of greenhouse gases includes carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases. They are expressed in a common unit, CO2-equivalents, as defined in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). 
  • The data presented here are estimates by Eurostat, except for the Netherlands and Sweden, which provided their own estimates. Eurostat’s methodology differs from the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions under the UN rules, which provides annual data on EU progress towards its targets. A main methodological difference is an attribution to individual countries of international transport and the corresponding air emissions. The Eurostat estimates include the international transport emissions in the total for each country, according to the international System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA).
  • The EU inventory is based on annual inventory reports by the Member States and is prepared and quality checked by the European Environment Agency on behalf of the Commission and submitted to the UNFCCC each spring. The period covered by the inventory starts in 1990 and runs up until 2 years before the current year (e.g., in 2021 the inventories cover greenhouse gas emissions up to 2019). According to the European Climate Law, the EU’s climate target is to achieve a -55% net reduction by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.
  • EU countries are required to monitor their emissions under reporting rules based on internationally agreed obligations in line with guidelines from the IPCC. The reporting covers emissions of seven greenhouse gases from all sectors: energy, industrial processes, land use, land use change & forestry (LULUCF), waste, agriculture, etc. As parties to the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, the EU and Member States report annually on their greenhouse gas emissions to the UN ('greenhouse gas inventories').

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