Emissions from Norwegian economic activity, 2011

Preliminary data for 2010 for greenhouse gas emission intensities for Norwegian economic activity are now published by Statistics Norway. The data are split into 10 different main industry groups and the purpose of these preliminary statistics is to give an early general picture of the correlation between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared with the national emission figures that are reported as part of the Kyoto agreement, and calculated using a territorial definition of Norway, the figures presented here also include emissions to air from ocean transport and international air transport.

In 2011, there has been a strong decrease in the greenhouse gas emissions intensity for the Norwegian economy as a whole; a total of 16.7 tonnes CO2-equivalents per million NOK produced were emitted, which is a decrease of 3.5 per cent from 2010. Although the greenhouse gas emissions intensity in general has decreased since 1990, 2011 is one of the few years when the increased activity level in the Norwegian economy has been followed by a real decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The last time this occurred was in 2005.

Decrease in the emission intensities in all the main industry groups

Although at a national level there is an apparent weak connection between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions, this can, in 2011, still be explained by economic growth in the service industries, which do not contribute much to total greenhouse gas emissions. However, in 2011, the manufacturing industries, transport and mining and extraction industries also contributed to the decrease in the emission intensities for the Norwegian economy as a whole.

In 2011, it is still the industry group including agriculture, forestry and fishing that is emitting the most greenhouse gases per million NOK produced. The decrease in 2011 by x per cent is mainly due to an increase in the activity level in aquaculture.

Weak connection between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions in services

The growth in output in 2011 was 1.9 per cent, of which the main contribution came from the production of service activities. Greenhouse gas emitted from these service activities fell by 10 per cent in 2011. This reduction is due to a combination of low electricity prices and above average temperatures in 2011, which reduced emissions from heating.

Emission per produced NOK is again falling in the manufacturing industries

Emission intensities in the manufacturing industries as a whole declined in 2011. The output in fixed prices increased by 1.6 per cent. The strongest contributions came from the less emission intensive activities such as manufacture of machinery and equipment, building of oil platforms and modules and repair and installation of machinery and equipment, while the more emission intensive part of the manufacturing industries experienced a slowdown in 2011. The reduced activity in the manufacture of chemical products, paper and paper products and fish processing contributed to a fall in greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing industries by 1.5 per cent.

Lower activity in mining and extraction reduces greenhouse gases

After years with a slow increase in emission intensity in the industry group that includes mining and extraction of oil and gas incl. services, the emission intensity fell by 0.5 per cent in 2011. Both the output and the emissions of greenhouse gases decreased in 2011, by 1.1 and 1.6 per cent respectively. The production of oil and gas was reduced by almost 5 per cent from 2010 to 2011, which contributed to reduced emissions from oil and gas extraction in 2011. The activity level in services related to oil and gas extraction, which have a very low emission intensity, saw a dramatic increase in 2011, thereby curbing the fall in production value that was mainly due to lower production in the extraction industry.

Tables:

• Table 1 Output, employment, greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas emission intensities. Preliminary figures for 2011
• Table 2 Output in constant 2005-basic prices, employment and greenhouse gases and intensities (1990-2011)