CO ₂ emissions in 2020 fall for the first time below the 1990 level due to the increase in renewable electricity generation, the fall in coal and the limitations of activity and mobility due to the pandemic

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased by 6.4% compared to 1990 and by 38.6% compared to 2005

It is the first time throughout the series inventoried in the period 1990-2020 that emissions decrease with respect to the reference year

There has been a decrease in emissions in all sectors except agriculture and waste

Transport continues to be the sector that contributes the most to emissions, with 27.7% of the total

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has today published the Advance of the Inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions corresponding to the year 2020. These preliminary data estimate that gross _CO2 equivalent emissions have been 271.5 million tons, which represents a decrease of 13.7% compared to 2019. It is the first time throughout the series inventoried in the period 1990-2020, in which emissions decrease compared to 1990.

Specifically, they have decreased by 6.4% compared to 1990 and by 38.6% compared to 2005. This decrease has two main causes. On the one hand, the increase in electricity generation with renewable sources and the fall in the use of coal. On the other, the activity and mobility limitations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

By gases, _CO2 accounts for 77.6% of total GHG emissions, followed by methane, with 14.3%. By sector, transport continues to be the most emitting and accounts for 27.7% of the total in terms of CO₂ equivalent, followed by industry (21.4%), agriculture and livestock as a whole (14.1%), electricity generation (10.3%), fuel consumption in the residential, commercial and institutional sectors (8.2%), and waste (5.1%).

While the electricity generated in 2020 was reduced by 3.6%, the associated GHG emissions experienced a decrease of 34.9%, much more pronounced. The main causes of the reduction of GHG emissions in this sector are the increase in generation from renewable sources (12.9% compared to 2019) and the continuous reduction in the use of coal (60.4% compared to 2019). Emissions due to extra-peninsular generation and combined cycle power plants are also decreasing.

GHG emissions from installations subject to the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) decreased in 2020 by 18.7% compared to the previous year. On the other hand, emissions from diffuse sectors fell by 10.4% and those from domestic aviation by 48.3%. With regard to diffuse sectors, Spain would meet its 2020 target set by the EU Effort Sharing Decision for the period 2013-2020.

Removals from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector have been estimated at 36.6 million tonnes of CO2-eq (accounting for 13.5% of total gross emissions from the Inventory in 2020), with a decrease of 2.6% mainly due to the forest sector, which contributes to most greenhouse gas removals and in which greenhouse gas removals are carried out. estimates a decrease in absorptions of 1.3%. Therefore, net emissions in 2020 are estimated at 234.9 million tons of CO2-eq (representing a reduction of 15.2% compared to 2019).

Source: MITECO