Compared to the previous year

Air emissions have largely fallen in 2022

(Bild: RicoK)

Emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases largely fell in 2022, according to data published by Statistics Austria on Friday. However, CO2 emissions from fossil sources increased during this period - traffic increased again after the coronavirus lockdowns.

"Compared to 2021, however, CO2 emissions from fossil sources increased by 2.3 percent in 2022, which is mainly due to the higher volume of traffic after the corona lockdowns," explained Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics at Statistics Austria on the "Air Emissions Calculation 1995-2022".

Decrease in particulate matter due to changes in heating behavior
However, the increase in climate-impacting CO2 emissions, which include process-related emissions in addition to fossil fuels - they are generated, for example, in iron or cement production - amounted to only 0.2 percent in total, the statistical office reported on Friday. However, warm weather and higher energy prices led to a decrease in particulate matter, as private households reduced the use of biomass for space heating. According to Statistics Austria, this also resulted in 9.8 percent less carbon monoxide (CO) and 6.9 percent less non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) being emitted in 2022 compared to 2021, which is the highest decrease of all emission types considered.

Taking 1995 as the basis - the time series begins with this year due to the requirements of the EU regulation - the greatest reductions were achieved for sulphur dioxide (SO2, minus 74.2 percent), NMVOC (minus 57.1 percent) and carbon monoxide (minus 47.7 percent). Emissions of particulate matter PM2.5 (minus 40.1 percent - PM2.5 refers to particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres (thousandths of a millimetre), note), methane (CH4, minus 38.2 percent), nitrogen oxides (NOx, minus 28.6 percent) and particulate matter PM10 (minus 29.2 percent) were also significantly reduced.

According to Statistics Austria, the increased use of renewable energies between 1995 and 2022 led to a 97.3 percent increase in climate-neutral CO2 emissions from biogenic sources such as firewood or biomass. In the same period, however, emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels fell by just 6.6 percent. CO2 emissions from other sources (process-related emissions), on the other hand, increased by 24.7 percent - overall, climate-impacting CO2 emissions fell slightly (minus 0.7 percent).

Households largely reduced air pollutants and greenhouse gases
From 1995 to 2022, private households reduced emissions of almost all observed air pollutants and greenhouse gases, with the exception of CO2 from other sources (up 23.9 percent) and from biogenic sources (up 11.4 percent). Emissions from industry decreased with the exception of fossil (plus 0.1 percent), process-related (plus 24.7 percent) and climate-neutral biogenic CO2 emissions (plus 210.6 percent).

In the air emissions calculation, only those emissions are taken into account that are caused by people living in Austria and by companies based here, regardless of where they are emitted in the world, Statistics Austria explains the difference to the air pollutant and greenhouse gas inventory, which is compiled annually by the Federal Environment Agency and which reflects the emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases for Austria's national territory. According to Statistics Austria, the difference between the air emissions calculation and the other reporting obligations mentioned lies in the different consideration of transport emissions (emissions from residents versus domestic emissions).