Energy in Finland - Carbon Emissions

Carbon Emissions

The Finnish CO₂ emissions grew 14.5% (1990:2004), when EU average was - 0.6%. According to the Finnish RE organisations and Finnish public the potential of RE increase in Finland is huge.

The carbon dioxide emissions by fossil fuels in 2008 originated from 45% oil, 39% coal and 15% natural gas. In the year 2000 the shares were nearly equal: 48% oil and 37% coal. The fossil traffic fuels: motor petrol, diesel and aviation petrol are oil products. The biomass included 47% of black liquer and 52% of wood in 2008. These shares were practically same during 1990-2006. All biomass and agricultural warming gas emissions are free of charge in the EU emissions trading in 2008-2012. According to the official statistics the annual fossil fuel and coal emissions in Finland have large annual variation. E.g. the fossil fuel CO₂ emissions dropped 18% in the year 2005 and 13% in 2008, but the annual coal emissions increased 22% in 1996, 22% in 2001 and 58% in 2006.

According to the energy statistics the major changing factors for the annual emission changes were the consumption of coal and peat. In 2006 the hard coal increase was 92% subject to industry (including energy producing industry) separate electricity generation from hard coal. At the same time the controversial peat consumption was increased. The district heating used 42% of hard coal in average 1990-2006, but its annual variation was small compared to the industry separate electricity generation.