On results of the project “NAMEA air emission accounts”
In 2010 Central Statistical Bureau was working on European Union Gran project “NAMEA air emission accounts”. Mentioned project is the first project on this topic in Latvia, which was carried out basing on united methodology developed by the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat). The aim of the project was to acquire data on emissions of various substances into the air in breakdown by economic activities, using the national emission inventories of the United Nations Organisation Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. Greenhouse gases are natural and anthropogenic origin atmosphere components absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation. Direct greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), but carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) are included in the group of indirect greenhouse gases.
Emissions of the polluting substances into the air cause various environmental problems, such as acidification (SO2, NOx, NH3), eutrophication (NOx, NH3) and formation of ground-level ozone (NMVOC, NOx).
The most part of the greenhouse gasses is formed by the CO2, it mainly arises in the burning of fossil fuel (oil products, coal, natural gas).
In 2005 the breakdown of carbon dioxide emission by economic activities is fairly equal – 27% of CO2 emissions come from electricity, gas and water supply and hot water supply, 21% of emissions are caused by the transport sector and 20% arise in manufacturing.In 2008 the share of CO2 emissions in transport sector grew to 26%, but the share of electricity and water supply sector reduced to 22% of the total carbon dioxide emissions.
Methane mainly arises in agriculture from livestock sector and waste management, but N2O, in turn, from use of fertilises in agriculture.
Main sources of CH4 and N2O emissions in Latvia are agriculture, forestry sectors and wastewater management sector, followed by the households.
Greenhouse gas emissions in breakdown by economic activities, 2005-2008
| CO2 (thousand tons) | CH4 (tons) | N2O (tons) | |||||||||
Sectors | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
Agriculture, hunting and forestry (A) | 389 | 420 | 452 | 409 | 36278 | 35864 | 37478 | 35972 | 4053 | 4176 | 4364 | 4305 |
Fishing (B) | 109 | 81 | 57 | 48 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Mining and quarrying (C) | 30 | 39 | 46 | 47 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Manufacturing (D) | 1479 | 1515 | 1600 | 1517 | 9268 | 6353 | 6141 | 8085 | 37 | 41 | 38 | 39 |
Electricity, gas and water supply (E) | 2283 | 2308 | 2184 | 2134 | 7829 | 5833 | 5904 | 6013 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 |
Construction (F) | 245 | 329 | 439 | 395 | 37 | 42 | 39 | 30 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
Wholesale and retail trade (G) | 374 | 451 | 566 | 564 | 246 | 294 | 663 | 191 | 15 | 17 | 25 | 17 |
Hotels and restaurants (H) | 22 | 29 | 52 | 36 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Transport, storage and communication (I) | 1771 | 2082 | 2450 | 2433 | 306 | 235 | 208 | 178 | 146 | 139 | 154 | 154 |
Financial intermediation (J) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Real estate, renting and business activities (K) | 117 | 191 | 169 | 173 | 49 | 106 | 81 | 118 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Public administration and defence (L) | 138 | 132 | 136 | 119 | 651 | 633 | 562 | 891 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 |
Education (M) | 42 | 38 | 44 | 42 | 192 | 176 | 157 | 240 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Health and social work (N) | 72 | 70 | 74 | 58 | 161 | 200 | 169 | 188 | 13 | 42 | 16 | 17 |
Other community, social and personal service activities (O) | 85 | 99 | 127 | 113 | 29342 | 30093 | 30786 | 32641 | 223 | 223 | 221 | 219 |
Total in sectors | 7171 | 7796 | 8412 | 8101 | 84389 | 79863 | 82229 | 84571 | 4550 | 4707 | 4886 | 4820 |
Households | 1394 | 1448 | 1563 | 1466 | 10275 | 9889 | 9626 | 9509 | 189 | 182 | 175 | 165 |
TOTAL | 8565 | 9244 | 9975 | 9567 | 94664 | 89751 | 91855 | 94080 | 4739 | 4889 | 5061 | 4985 |
As household emissions are closely related with the use of fossil fuel for transport and heating, the share of CO2 emissions from households is higher than the share of two other greenhouse gases. Households are the main source emitting CO2 from the use of biomass as fuel – 65% in 2005 and 62% in 2008. It can be explained with the fact that households are using approximately 60% of the biomass fuels in Latvia.
| Share of CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from households in 2005-2008 |
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In 2005 emissions of SOx per capita in Latvia comprised 2.1kg, and it is ten times less than total emissions in Europe (EU-27) per capita (19.5kg).In 2005 the CO2 emissions per capita constituted 3.71 ton, and it is more than two times less than total CO2 emissions per capita in EU-27 (9 tons).Nevertheless, the emissions of CH4 and N2O per capita in both Latvia and Europe were almost the same.
Emissions per capita in 2005 (kg, CO2 tons)
| CO2 | CH4 | N2O | SOx | NH3 | NOx | NMVOC |
Latvia | 3.71 | 41.04 | 2.05 | 2.10 | 6.77 | 20.39 | 25.82 |
EU-27 | 9.00 | 41.14 | 2.62 | 19.47 | 8.19 | 27.72 | 23.30 |
Prepared by Environment and Energy Statistics Section
Andra Lazdiņa
Tel. 67366747