Emissions to air, 2015, preliminary figures

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.