1.1. Contact organisation
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
E2: Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
5, rue Alphonse Weicker
L-2721 Luxembourg
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
21 March 20232.2. Metadata last posted
19 May 20252.3. Metadata last update
19 May 2025The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 13 on climate action which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under 'Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature'. SDG 13 seeks to implement the commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change for achieving a climate neutral world by mid-century to limit global warming to well below 2°C and aiming at 1.5°C (compared to pre-industrial times). It also aims to strengthen countries’ resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related natural hazards and the resulting disasters.
The European Climate Law sets out a framework for climate action and increases the EU’s ambition for 2030, with a new goal to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55 % by that year (compared to 1990) and to achieve climate-neutrality by 2050. The European Commission has also put in place a package of new and revised EU climate and energy legislation — the so called Fit for 55 package — to increase its ambition on climate mitigation. The package comprises an interconnected set of measures in the area of energy, transport, taxation and climate policies, and includes strengthened and expanded carbon pricing, targets, standards and support measures. It also sets a target for natural carbon sinks of 310 million tonnes of CO2equivalents.
Furthermore, the NextGenerationEU recovery plan is the Union’s economic response to the COVID-19 crisis. It includes the Recovery and Resilience Facility worth EUR 672.5 billion, of which at least 37 % must go to climate action. Each national recovery and resilience plan will have to meet this target of a minimum of 37% of expenditure related to climate, and all reforms and investments by Member States as a part of the recovery fund must comply with the ’do-no-significant-harm’principle and therefore avoid significant negative impact on the EU’s climate and environmental objectives.
The new EU cohesion policy (2021 to 2027) includes a ‘greener, carbon-free Europe’ as one of its five main objectives receiving 65 % to 85 % of available funding together with an objective for a ‘smarter Europe’.
4.1. Data description
The indicator measures total national emissions (from both ESD and ETS sectors) of the so called ‘Kyoto basket’ of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and the so-called F-gases (hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, nitrogen triflouride (NF3) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)) from all sectors of the GHG emission inventories. Estimated emissions from international aviation and maritime transport are excluded for individual countries. The indicator is presented in two forms: as net emissions including land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) as well as excluding LULUCF. Using each gas’ individual global warming potential (GWP), they are being integrated into a single indicator expressed in units of CO2 equivalents. The GHG emission inventories are submitted annually by the EU Member States to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
4.2. Unit of measure
Index 1990 = 100 and tonnes of CO2 equivalent per capita
4.3. Reference Period
Calendar year.
4.4. Accuracy - overall
Indicator from non-ESS source. For assessment of accuracy please refer to the original source (see link to external data source and metadata in section “Annexes”).
4.5. Source data
4.5.1. Source data - Organisation
EEA (UNFCCC reporting)
4.5.2. Source data - Comment
Data source: EEA, Reporting under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC reporting)
Data provider: European Environment Agency (EEA), based on data from covered countries.
5.1. Frequency of dissemination
5.1.1. Frequency of dissemination - Grade
Every year5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment
Indicator is updated annually.
5.2. Timeliness
5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade
T+2 years5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment
New data points are disseminated within two years after the reference year.
6.1. Reference area
6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade
< 75% EU MS or no EU aggregate6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment
Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
The EU aggregate is published under table 13_11, using a different scope (i.e. including international aviation and maritime transport).
6.2. Comparability - geographical
6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade
All EU MS6.2.2. Comparability - geographical - Comment
Data are comparable between all EU Member States respectively other presented countries. Comparability between Member States is one of the core reporting principles that the greenhouse gas inventory must adhere to.
6.3. Coverage - Time
6.3.1. Time Coverage - Grade
> 10 years6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment
Presented time series (including EU aggregates) starts in year 1990.
6.4. Comparability - over time
6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade
> 4 data points6.4.2. Comparability - over time - Comment
Length of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points. When Member States gain new scientific knowledge that cause a change of an estimate, then the Member State needs to recalculate the full time series back to 1990 using this knowledge, if applicable.
7.1. Dissemination format - Publications
Analysis of the indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context).
7.2. Dissemination format - online database
See table sdg_13_10
7.3. Dissemination format - other
Eurostat dedicated section on SDGs: overview.
Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright/Licence Policy is applicable.
