Objetivos de la CAN

–5 0 5 10 15 20 25 IPCC-emissions Actual emissions Emissions economy % change Greenhouse gases CO2

IPCC emissions decrease, emissions by economic activities increase

The total greenhouse gas emissions for the Netherlands according to the guidelines of the IPCC were equal to 211 Mton CO₂ equivalents in 20102). This is 1.3 percent below the emission level in 1990, the base year for the Kyoto Protocol. The CO₂ emissions, however, increased by 14  percent during this period, which was less than the reductions in emissions of all other greenhouse gases (CH₄, N₂O, F-gases). This puts the Netherlands on course to realise its Kyoto targets (see below). The emissions of greenhouse gases generated by the Dutch economy were equal to 246 Mton in 2010 and increased by 6.7 percent between 1990 and 2010. These differences are primarily due to the omission of emissions by international transport which is only partly included in the Kyoto figures. Precisely in this period, international transport grew rapidly in the Netherlands, pushing up greenhouse gas emissions. Also, emissions from short-cyclic CO₂, for example the combustion of waste, have increased rapidly in this period. Finally, the actual greenhouse gas emissions in the Dutch territory have increased since 1990 (3 percent). Accordingly, the IPCC emission data presents the most optimistic viewpoint.

Emission data and the Dutch climate policy

The aim of the Dutch climate policy is to meet its obligation for emission reductions as stipulated in the Kyoto Protocol and to achieve further emission reductions for the medium-long period as has been agreed on within the European Union. For the Netherlands, the Kyoto target was set at a 6 percent emission reduction for the period 2008–2012 with respect to 1990, the base year for the Kyoto Protocol. This means that on average the Netherlands may emit 200 Mton CO₂ eq. each year for the period 2008–2012. To meet its Kyoto target, the Netherlands will make use of the three flexible Kyoto mechanisms, namely emission trading, Joint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). As the Dutch government aims to acquire 13 Mton CO₂ eq. from emission permits abroad (JI and CDM projects) the domestic emission target is 213 Mton CO₂ eq. each year.

In 2007 the European Council already adopted a long-term climate objective, in which the EU strives to reduce the average global temperature increase to 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels (EC, 2007). To implement this objective, the European Council decided to realize in 2020 an emission reduction of at least 20 percent compared to 1990. For the Netherlands this amounts to an emission reduction of 16 percent in 2020 with respect to emission levels in 2005. The contribution to a global and broad (post-Kyoto) climate agreement of the EU will be 30 percent, provided that other developed countries contribute comparable emission reductions and economically more advanced developing countries contribute adequately according to their responsibilities and capabilities. In addition, the European Council formulated goals for energy saving (20 percent compared with the estimated use in 2020), renewable energy (20 percent of the final use of the EU in 2020) and bio fuels (minimum 10 percent of the total fuel consumption in 2020).

The Dutch climate policy and emission targets are primarily based on the emissions as calculated by the IPCC guidelines. These emissions, however, do not provide a complete picture of all emissions related to Dutch (economic) activities. Particularly, emissions caused

by Dutch transport activities are largely excluded, as only a small part is included in the IPCC emissions. Furthermore, an alternative to the frameworks presented here, which are all based on emissions inherent in production, is to calculate the emissions that are required to satisfy Dutch consumption.

Emissions from consumption

The ‘personal carbon footprint’ is an interactive internet application that estimates greenhouse gas emissions related to consumption habits. Your personal footprint is compared with the Dutch average in the areas of living, transport, food and recreation. The impact of changing your diet or the size of your car

can be derived. Not only direct emissions (e.g. from driving a car or heating) but also indirect emissions (e.g. from production of food or public transport) are taken into account. Indirect emissions are estimated using input-output analysis (a.o. Edens et al., 2011).

Edens, B., Delahaye, R., Rossum, M. and Schenau, S. (2011) Analysis of changes in Dutch emission trade balance(s) between 1996 and 2007, Ecological economics, 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.07.006

5.2

Greenhouse gas emissions from

production

The air emission accounts provide information about the contribution of the economy to climate change and the activities in which these emissions occur, so that the ‘hotspots’ in the production patterns can be identified. In addition, due to the compatibility with the national accounts framework, the greenhouse gas emissions can be directly linked to the output of the economic activities, so that the environmental performance of different industries can be compared by looking at decoupling, or by calculating emission intensities (eco-efficiency).

For a description of the methodology of the air emission accounts see CBS (2010). The data of the air emission accounts can be found on StatLine, the electronic database of Statistics Netherlands.

Strong increase in greenhouse gas emissions by industries

The total greenhouse gas emissions by industries equalled 203.1 Mton CO₂ eq. in 2010, which was 4.9 percent higher than the previous year3). CO₂ emission even increased by 5.8 percent. The main reason for this strong increase is the higher energy consumption due to the economic recovery and the low temperatures in the winter months (see also paragraph 2.1). Emissions of nitrous oxide and methane decreased by 1 and 2 percent respectively.

In agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions rose by 4 percent, primarily due to higher combustion of natural gas in horticulture. Methane emissions from cattle remained stable. In manufacturing, emissions increased in most industries. Particularly in the chemical industry, basic metal and the refineries, where the production processes are very emission intensive, emissions rose fast. The increased demand for products from these industries for exports is the main driver for the higher emissions. Waste management produced less greenhouse gas emissions. Although CO₂ emissions from waste incineration increased, the methane emissions from land fill sites decreased by 7 percent. These emissions have been decreasing steadily over the years as waste deposited in landfill sites has been reduced and historic emissions from existing sites are becoming less every year. The increased emissions in the transport sector closely follow the greater transport activities. Finally, in the service sectors, emissions increased as more natural gas was combusted for heating offices.

3) _{The total emissions by the economy, which includes emissions by households, equalled 245.8 Mton CO}

2 eq. (see also paragraph 5.1), which is 5.3 percent