Norwegian Climate gas emission down by 1.6%
52.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents were released from Norwegian territory last year, according to Statistics Norway. This constitutes a decline of 1.6 per cent compared to 2016.
At the same time, the emissions represent an increase of 3 per cent from 1990, according to Statistics Norway (SSB).
The decline from 2016 to 2017 corresponds to a reduction of approximately 0.9 million tonnes of so-called greenhouse gases measured in CO2 equivalents.
Largest contributors
– The largest contributors to the decline in 2017 compared to 2016 are road traffic, shipping and oil and gas extraction. These show a total decline of 1.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents, SSB writes in its review of the figures.
Road traffic shows a reduction of 9.5 per cent. The decline is mainly due to a higher proportion of biofuel usage in 2017.
– Hybrid and electric cars accounted for 10 per cent of all travel by Norwegian passenger vehicles, which can also help explain parts of the decline, SSB states.
Criticism of the method
After the preliminary figures from Statistics Norway were released in August, the Rainforest Fund expressed criticism of the calculation method to NRK, as Norway’s use of biodiesel has contributed to devastating the rainforest in Indonesia.
– The emission statistics hide our contribution to deforestation and rainforest destruction, Nils Hermann Ranum in the Rainforest Fund exclaimed.
State Secretary in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, Atle Hamar (Conservatives), explains the calculation as follows:
– In line with the UN Climate Change Convention, emissions from biofuel incineration are not recorded in any country’s accounts because they are part of the natural cycle. It comes from trees and plants, and it is recycled by other trees and plants.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
