Emissions to air, 2002, preliminary figures

Primarily, emissions of CO₂ and SF₆ were reduced in 2002. The decrease in CO₂ emissions was caused by lower activity in the ferroalloy manufacturing industry, less use of diesel in oil and gas production, reduced production of refined oil products and reduction in coastal traffic.

Emissions of sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆) were considerably reduced because of the closing down of the production of primary magnesium. At the same time, emissions of nitrous oxide from manufacture of commercial fertilizer and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) from aluminium production increased. Emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) will increase as they replace chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons.

Emissions of nitrous oxide and CO₂ from road traffic continued to increase in 2002, due to more use of diesel cars and a higher portion of petrol cars equipped with catalytic converters, which cause higher emissions of nitrous oxide than those without.

Sales of light fuel oils increased steeply towards the end of 2002 because of high electricity prices. Possibly, the reduction in emissions from the manufacturing industries may be outweighed by an increase in emissions from combustion of oil products.

In spite of the reduction in Norway's total greenhouse gas emissions from 2001 to 2002, the emissions have increased by 5 per cent from 1990. According to the Kyoto protocol, Norwegian emissions in 2008-2012 should not be more than 1 per cent above the 1990 level.

73 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in 2002 came from CO₂, while methane and nitrous oxide constituted 13 and 11 per cent, respectively. Emissions of methane were reduced by 1 per cent in 2002, mainly because of less loading of oil on the Continental Shelf, whereas emissions of nitrous oxide increased by 5 per cent. 3 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions in 2002 came from HFCs, PFCs and SF₆.

Emissions of nitrogen oxides, NMVOC and ammonia are treated in a separate article .

The figures are calculated by Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.

More figures on emissions to air in StatBank .