Climate Action

What are Europe’s biggest sources of carbon emissions?

Joe Myers
Writer, Forum Agenda

The biggest source of CO2 emissions from European OECD nations is energy, which accounts for some 31% of emissions.

The OECD has calculated total CO2 emissions by sector using its environment statistics, and the following chart is based on these.

1511B16-european co2 emissions energy manufacturing households

Manufacturing and households are the next highest, at 22% of total emissions. After that comes transportation and sewage at 12%.

Other sources of European CO2 emissions include construction (2%), water supply (1%) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (2%).

Reducing emissions is a major goal of global economies as they look to tackle climate change, and understanding where the sources of emissions are is an important step on this path.

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Author: Joe Myers is a Digital Content Producer at Formative Content.

Image: Smoke bellows from the chimneys of Belchatow Power Station, Europe’s largest biggest coal-fired power plant. REUTERS/Peter Andrews.

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