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Increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2015
statistikk
2016-05-20T10:00:00.000Z
Nature and the environment
en
klimagassn, Emissions to air, air pollution, greenhouse gases (for example CO2, CH4, N2O), emissions by source (for example oil and gas production, road traffic, air traffic), emissions by industry (for example energy sector, manufacturing, primary industries)Pollution and climate, Nature and the environment
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Greenhouse gas emissions (2015). Includes CO2, CH4, N2O and fluorinated gases. In 2015, total emissions amounted to 53.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents.

Emissions to air2015, preliminary figures

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Increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2015

The preliminary figures for greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 show that emissions from Norwegian territory were 53.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents. This is a 1.5 per cent increase compared with 2014.

Emissions of greenhouse gases. Preliminary figures. Million CO2 equivalents1
2015Change in per cent
Since 19902014 - 2015
1Does not include international sea and air traffic.
Emissions from Norwegian territory53.93.91.5
Oil and gas extraction15.182.82.3
Manufacturing industries and mining12.0-38.93.1
Energy supply1.7311.5-0.9
Heating in other industries and households1.3-52.62.2
Road traffic10.332.20.8
Aviation, navigation, fishing, motor equip. etc.6.313.7-0.3
Agriculture4.4-9.71.7
Other2.96.4-2.1

After many years of reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases, the emissions in 2015 increased by 0.8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents compared with 2014. This is primarily due to higher carbon dioxide emissions from oil and gas extraction, and from industry.

Highest increase for oil and gas extraction and manufacturing industries

Greenhouse gas emissions from extraction of oil and gas amounted to 15 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2015. This is 0.3 million tonnes, or 2.3 per cent, more than the preceding year. The increase is largely due to a growth in the use of natural gas offshore. Emissions from oil and gas extraction constitute 28 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. This source therefore continues to be the most important contributor to greenhouse gas emissions from Norwegian territory.

Manufacturing industries and mining was the second most important emission source, with 12 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2015. From 2014, these emissions rose by 0.4 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents or 3.1 per cent. Production of fertiliser and oil refining had the largest increase in 2015.

Emissions from energy supply decreased by 0.9 per cent, while heating emissions rose by 2.2 per cent. Emissions from agriculture rose by 1.7 per cent from 2014, mainly due to higher sheep numbers and more use of fertilizer.

Increased fuel sales pushed emissions up by approximately 1 per cent compared with 2014. The shift from petrol to auto diesel powered private cars continues, and is leading to higher emissions from diesel cars and lower emissions from petrol cars.

Increased CO2 emissions

The emissions of CO2 rose by more than 0.8 million tonnes, which corresponds to more than the increase in the total greenhouse gas emissions. The largest contributor to the increase was the growth in the use of natural gas offshore, but emissions from oil refining and production of fertiliser also rose markedly.

Emissions of methane (CH4) are at the same level in 2015 as in 2014, despite a 10 per cent reduction, almost 0.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents, in emissions from oil and gas extraction. This reduction was offset by higher emissions from inter alia agriculture and heating in households. Emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) increased by 1.3 per cent compared with 2014. This is mainly due to higher emissions from agriculture and production of fertiliser.

Emissions of fluorinated gases (HFCs, PFCs and SF6) amounted to 1.34 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2015. This is approximately 2.5 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. HFCs constituted 85 per cent of emissions from fluorinated gases in 2015. Only SF6 increased in 2015, by somewhat less than 1 per cent, while HFCs and PFCs were reduced by 4 and 18 per cent respectively. For HFCs, this means that the continuous rising trend from 2003 has now been broken. The drop in PFC emissions is mainly due to lower aluminium production in 2015.

Emissions covered by the emission trading scheme

Emissions of greenhouse gases from companies liable under the emission trading scheme, except air traffic, totalled 25.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2015. Emissions covered by quotas made up 47.6 per cent of the total emissions of greenhouse gases from Norwegian territory. Free emission quotas were allocated for 16.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2015, corresponding to 65 per cent of the total quota emissions.

Preliminary figures

The figures presented in this article are preliminary and will be revised in December 2016. The new publication will also include more detailed tables of emissions by source and by industry.

Norwegian commitments and goals for reductions in greenhouse gas emissionsOpen and readClose

In the second period of the Kyoto agreement (2013-2020), Norway is committed to reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases to 84 per cent of the domestic emission in 1990. Norway may fulfil its obligations partly by three market-based mechanisms; International Emissions Trading, Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation.

In 2008, the majority in the Norwegian parliament entered into an agreement on a national target for emission reductions. The target is to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent of domestic emissions in 1990. About two thirds of this reduction will be domestic cuts, setting the goal for total greenhouse gas emissions to 45-47 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents in 2020.