Finland's greenhouse gas emissions drop by 11% in 2023

Finland's national statistics office announced on Thursday that the country's greenhouse gas emissions decreased significantly by 11 percent year-on-year in 2023, reported Xinhua.

According to preliminary data from Statistics Finland, total emissions, excluding the land use sector, were 40.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, 5.1 million tonnes less than the previous year. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 decreased by 43 percent as compared to 1990.

Last year's decline was primarily driven by the energy sector, which saw a reduction of 4.6 million tonnes. Nevertheless, the energy sector remains the largest source of emissions, accounting for 70 percent of total emissions in 2023.

"Last year, changes in the electricity production structure reduced emissions in the energy sector. Coal and peat use decreased, while nuclear and wind power production increased. Hydropower production also rose compared to the previous year," Chief Actuary of Statistics Finland Päivi Lindh said.

At the same time, reduced logging has reduced carbon emissions from the land use sector. Logging volumes dropped by about 9 percent, turning the sector from a net emission source to a carbon sink, analysts explained.

According to the Finnish Climate Change Act, Finland's net emissions should be zero or negative by 2035. By 2030, emissions must be reduced by 60 percent, compared to 1990.