Emissions into air by Finns decrease

Greenhouse gas emissions by Finnish residents in Finland and abroad amounted to slightly over 58 million tonnes in 2015, which was around six per cent less than in 2014, according to Statistics Finland.

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, 25 per cent, the share of energy supply was 24 per cent, that of transportation and storage 16 per cent, and that of agriculture 13 per cent.

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.