Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions declined by 2.8% in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year, a period that was also marked by economic growth, according to data from INE released today.
In a highlight on atmospheric emissions, the INE stresses that this evolution, featuring economic growth and a reduction in GHGs, “evidences the continuity of the decoupling” between economic activity and GHG emissions.
In 2024, GHG emissions, expressed in Global Warming Potential (GWP), decreased by 2.8% compared with the previous year, totaling 52.0 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
This is the lowest value in the series begun in 1995, notes INE, adding that the reduction occurred in a context of economic growth, with GDP at market prices rising 2.7%.
The reduction in GHG emissions, combined with GDP growth, translated into a “5.4% drop in the carbon intensity of the Portuguese economy, which reached the lowest value in the statistical series,” the statement indicates.
The INE explains that three indicators were used to assess the environmental effects of emissions: the GWP, the Tropospheric Ozone Formation Potential (TOFP), which decreased by 1.6%, and the Acidification Potential (ACID), which increased by 1.3%.
Despite this differentiated evolution, the three indicators remained below the levels recorded in 2015 and in 1995, according to the INE.
The decrease in GWP in 2024 is likely mainly due to the increased production of electricity from renewable sources, particularly hydroelectric power (+25.1%) and photovoltaic (+37.4%).
The reduction, according to the analysis, was partly offset by higher emissions from industry, notably cement and lime industries and the chemical industry, as well as from transport, particularly aviation and maritime transport.
The INE adds that in 2024 ACID increased by 1.3%, reflecting the rise in ammonia (NH3) emissions from agriculture, linked to the recovery of meat production and increased fertilizer use, and the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from transport, particularly aviation and maritime transport.
TOFP decreased by 1.6%, probably due to lower natural gas usage in electricity production and the reduction of household emissions, possibly associated with lower heating needs. The INE acknowledges that there may also be a contribution from the gradual renewal of the vehicle fleet and the reduction of solvent content in paints, varnishes, and other products. The decrease was partially offset by the increase in NOx emissions from transport.
In summary, between 1995 and 2024 the three environmental indicators recorded reductions of 25.4% in GWP, 58.6% in ACID, and 47.7% in TOFP.
GWP, which expresses emissions of different GHGs in a common unit, CO2 equivalent, totaled 52.0 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2024, representing 1.5 million tonnes less than the previous year (-2.8%).
The reduction resulted primarily from the decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, by 3.7%. Methane (CH4) emissions also declined (-1.3%), while nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases increased by 1.3% and 0.2%, respectively.
Carbon dioxide (CO2), mainly associated with the use of fossil fuels, remained the leading greenhouse gas, accounting for 70.6% of the GWP in 2024.
Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which represented, respectively, 19.1% and 6.6% of the GWP, are mainly associated with agricultural and sanitation activities.
Fluorinated gases, used notably in air conditioning and refrigeration systems, contributed 3.7% to the total.
Between 2015 and 2024, the GWP decreased by 26.0%, reflecting mainly the reduction in CO2 emissions (-33.3%). The remaining gases showed more modest evolutions, without a common trend across the period, says the INE.
