Environmental Accounts – Emissions to air first quarter 2024
Greenhouse gas emissions from the Swedish economy increase during the first quarter of 2024
Statistical news from Statistics Sweden 2024-08-29 8.00
Greenhouse gas emissions from the Swedish economy increase by 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter 2023. The largest increase between these quarters are emissions from households´ vehicles, road transportation, the construction industry and agriculture. The emission intensity for the Swedish economy increases by 6.5 percent during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter 2023.
- 2024 has the largest emissions for a first quarter since 2020, with an increase of 6.7 percent compared with the equivalent quarter in 2023, says Fredrik Kanlén, analyst at Statistics Sweden's Environmental Accounts.
The quarterly statistics from Statistics Sweden’s Environmental Accounts report production-based air emissions per industry from Sweden's economy, which also include households.
The first quarter of 2024 shows total greenhouse gas emissions of 12.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents from the Swedish economy. During the same quarter of 2023, total greenhouse gas emissions were at 12.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
The emission intensity, which means greenhouse gas emissions per Swedish krona (SEK) produced in the economy, increases by 6.5 percent during the first quarter of 2024[1]. Sweden´s GDP was broadly unchanged between the first quarter 2024 and the equivalent quarter in 2023. Statistics Sweden´s National Accounts publishes new data for quarter two 2024 in August, and the values for GDP in quarter one of 2024 might therefor be revised. Link to statistical news, National account for GDP on the product page.
National accounts, second quarter 2024
[1] According to the publication of the Swedish GDP production approach from 2024-05-30
The Swedish carbon reduction policy (for the share of biofuel in transport fuels) was revised in January 2024 where diesel was reduced from 30.5 percent to 6 percent, and petrol was reduced from 7.8 percent to 6 percent.
Changes during the first quarter of 2024 in brief
The percentage changes below are compared with the corresponding quarter in the previous year, unless otherwise stated. Emissions refer to greenhouse gas emissions measured in kilotons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
- Emissions from the Swedish economy increased by 6,7 percent in the first quarter of 2024 and amounted to 12.9 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents.
- Emissions from the construction industry increased by 31 percent which amount to 133 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, mainly due to increased use of fossil diesel.
- Emissions from private consumption increased by 10 percent, which is an increase of 183 kilotons. This is mainly due to increased greenhouse gas emissions from fossil diesel use in private transport.
- Emissions from the transport sector (NACE H49-H53) increased by 154 kilotons, which is an increase of 9 percent.
- The increased emissions from the construction industry, households and transport sector can be linked to increased delivery of fossil diesel according to the monthly fuel, gas and inventory statistics[2].
- In electricity, gas and heating production as well as water, sewage and waste treatment and management (NACE D35-E39) the emissions increased by 7 percent, which corresponds to 123 kilotons. This can be explained by a slightly colder climate during January of 2024[3].
- The metals and mining sector (NACE B05-B09) increased its emissions by 13 percent, which represent an increase of 28 kilotons.
[1] According to the publication of the Swedish GDP production approach from 2024-05-30
| SNI 2007 aggregate | Greenhouse gas emissions | Value added (preliminary values) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Q1 | Change compared to 2023 Q1 |
2024 Q1 | Change compared to 2023 Q1 |
||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishery | 2 073 | 95 | 4.8% | 15 870 | ‑1 049 | ‑6.4% | |
| Mining | 239 | 28 | 13.5% | 6 291 | ‑3 359 | ‑33.2% | |
| Manufacturing | 3 348 | ‑28 | ‑0.8% | 231 636 | ‑1 749 | ‑0.8% | |
| Electricity, gas, heat, water, waste | 1 979 | 123 | 6.7% | 41 257 | ‑431 | ‑1.4% | |
| Construction | 563 | 133 | 31.1% | 84 040 | 2 101 | 2.6% | |
| Transport | 1 780 | 154 | 9.5% | 44 507 | ‑3 962 | ‑7.8% | |
| Other services | 819 | 116 | 16.5% | 649 648 | 9 900 | 1.6% | |
| Public sector | 99 | 2 | 2.1% | 304 067 | 1 145 | 0.5% | |
| Households and non-profit institutions [1] | 1 953 | 183 | 10.3% | 16 234 | 486 | 3.0% | |
| Total economy [2] | 12 853 | 806 | 6.7% | 1 544 874 | 2 749 | 0.2% | |
[1] Only non-profit institutions provide value added. Preliminary values. [2] GDP from a production approach (not calendar corrected). Preliminary values. Source: Statistics Sweden
Definitions and explanations
What do the quarterly statistics show?
The quarterly statistics from Statistics Sweden's environmental accounts report production-based emissions to air per industry from the Swedish economy, which also includes households. Production-based emissions are emissions of greenhouse gases by Swedish economic actors and differ from the territorial emissions, which instead include emissions within the national boarders. The territorial emissions are used in the UN, EU and nationally to follow up climate targets. The production based emission statistics include the emissions from Swedish companies and individuals that occur both outside and inside Sweden's borders. Production-based emissions use the same system boundary as the national economic statistics, i.e., the national accounts.
For the transport industry, emissions arising from transport companies with economic residence in Sweden are included, regardless of where in the world these emissions occur. Emissions from, e.g., foreign airlines flying to, from or within Sweden are not included.
When comparing quarters, the reader should be attentive to seasonal variation. For example, emissions from electricity, gas, heat, water, waste are higher during the winter whereas households’ consumption of diesel and petrol are higher during the summer.
Greenhouse gas emissions – carbon dioxide equivalents are calculated as an aggregate of CO2 (fossil), CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, SF6. The conversion factors (Greenhouse Warming Potential, GWP) used to calculate carbon dioxide equivalents are the same as those used for reporting to UNFCCC.
The quarterly statistics has some uncertainties compared to the yearly statistics since a fewer amount of companies are included.
[1] IPCC, 2014: Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp, AR5 Synthesis Report - Climate Change 2014 (ipcc.ch)
Revisions
NACE 19-21 has been reviced with new data since updated data was made available.
More information about emission accounts is available on the Statistics Sweden’s website Miljöräkenskaper (scb.se) under the heading (in Swedish): Dokumentation
Next publishing will be
The next statistical news on quarterly emissions to air for the second quarter of 2024, is scheduled for 24th October 2024.
Statistical Database
More information is available in the Statistical Database
Feel free to use the facts from this statistical news but remember to state Source: Statistics Sweden.