CO2 Statistics: Emissions Show Decrease
CO2 Statistics: Emissions Show Decrease
12
Jul
Posted by: Baris Karapinar
Category:
ESG News
No Comments
The latest CO2 statistics for 2022 reveal a decrease in emissions compared to previous years. Emissions from transportation sources decreased by 1.1 percent compared to the previous year, and by over 8 percent when compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline can be attributed to various factors, including improved energy efficiency in buildings and the increased use of renewable energy for heating.
The annual CO2 statistics, conducted by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), analyze the development of emissions from different sources. To ensure accurate comparisons between years, the impact of winter weather on energy consumption is mathematically adjusted using a method called weather adjustment.
Emissions from transportation sources experienced a slight decline in 2022. Compared to the previous year, there was a reduction of 1.1 percent. However, the decrease was more significant when compared to 2019, with emissions dropping by 8.1 percent. The pandemic-induced changes in mobility behavior, such as remote work and fewer business trips, along with the increasing adoption of electric vehicles, contributed to this decline. Additionally, the proportion of biogenic fuels in overall consumption slightly increased to 3.4 percent in 2022.
Emissions from other sources, such as heating, also decreased in 2022. Weather-adjusted emissions dropped by 4.9 percent compared to the previous year. The reduction can be primarily attributed to improved energy efficiency in buildings and the greater utilization of renewable energy for heating purposes. The efforts of the cantons, along with the federal energy-saving campaign and high energy prices, also played a role in lowering emissions.
The weather adjustment method used in the CO2 statistics takes into account the influence of colder winter months on heating energy consumption. It factors in heating degree days and the amount of sunlight during winter, which are important determinants of fuel usage for well-insulated buildings. This approach aligns with the method employed in the Swiss Federal Energy Statistics.