In 2022 the emission of greenhouse gasses was 7,9 percent lower than in 2021. This is mainly due to the high prices of natural gas. Therefore less natural gas was consumed by the industrial sector, built environment and the agricultural sector. Another factor was the mild winter compared to 2021. In 2021 greenhouse gas emissions rose by 1,8 percent compared to 2020. This is shown by the provisional emission data that RIVM/Emissieregistratie publishes on emissieregistratie.nl today.
In 2022, for the first time, greenhouse gas emissions were over 30 percent below the level of 1990. This is well within the target of the so-called Urgenda climate case*. In Dutch climate law it is stipulated that by 2030 the emission of greenhouse gasses need to decrease by 55 percent compared to 1990.
Conclusive emission data over 2022 will be released at the start of 2024.
Ammonia, NOx and NMVOC emissions decrease in 2022
In 2022 the downward trend of ammonia emissions continues with a decrease of 1,1 percent. This is mainly due to a decrease of the amount of animals in pig and poultry farms, and lower amounts of nitrogen in the feed of dairy cows.
The emission of nitrogen oxides (NO¬x) decreased by 2,4 percent. This is due to a reduction of natural gas consumption by consumers, agriculture and industry as a result of high natural gas prices. In addition, a more modern road fleet produces less NOx emissions.
Better data about the use of hand disinfection by consumers leads to a decrease (10,6 percent) of NMVOC (non-methane volatile organic compounds) emission. This improved information will also be used on previous years at the publication of the conclusive data over 2022.
Emissions of other air polluting compounds (PM2,5 and SO2) remain more or less constant in 2022.
CO2-equivalents are available on emissieregistratie.nl
Greenhouse gas emissions are converted to so-called CO2 equivalents to be able to compare, or add together, the influence of the different greenhouse gasses. This way emissions of different greenhouse gasses are gathered under one denominator. That is the reason why climate change goals are commonly expressed in megaton CO2 equivalents.
As of now the emission of greenhouse gasses can be shown as CO¬2 equivalents on emissieregistratie.nl, on both the maps and in the tables. It is also possible to download data in CO2 equivalents other than the usual kilograms.
* During the Urgenda climate case of June 2015 the judge decided that from 2020 the emission of greenhouse gasses has to have been reduced by at least 25 percent compared to 1990. This verdict was eventually upheld by the High Court in 2019.
For more information (only in Dutch)