The Czech Republic emitted 99 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, which is a reduction of 17.5 million tonnes or 15% compared to the previous year, according to the national greenhouse gas inventory, the Environment Ministry said on Tuesday. The preliminary results of the survey have been sent to the European Commission.
Since 1990, emissions in the Czech Republic have fallen by 47%. The European Green Transformation Plan, which the country is obliged to work towards by 2030, aims to reduce emissions by 55%.
“This is the biggest drop in emissions since the early 1990s, the first time we have gone below 100 million tonnes,” said Environment Minister Petr Hladik (KDU-CSL). “Now we must ensure that this is not just a temporary blip, but a permanent trend towards decarbonisation of the energy sector and the entire economy.”
Emissions in the energy sector fell by 7 million tonnes year-on-year. Industry contributed 2 million tonnes to the reduction, and another 2 million tonnes were saved in heating of buildings. Emissions from transport, which had been increasing for a long time with a short break during the COVID-19 pandemic, fell by 1 million tonnes.
Emissions associated with the Czech landscape have decreased significantly. In recent years, forests emitted large amounts of greenhouse gases due to the bark beetle calamity – releasing 1.5 million tonnes of emissions as recently as 2022. However, in 2023 they started to again absorb more greenhouse gases than they emitted, storing 3.5 million tonnes of carbon.
Emissions from installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) fell by more than 10 million tonnes year-on-year, and have fallen by 43% in total since the scheme was launched in 2005.
At the EU level, emissions in 2023 were down 8.3% compared to 2022, and 37% overall compared to 1990, according to the European Commission. Sectors outside the EU ETS saw their largest recorded drop in emissions, down by more than 7%, or around 4.7 million tonnes.
By 2030, the Czech Republic could benefit from up to CZK 1,200 billion of EU funding. One example of how this money can be used is the New Green Savings Programme, which helps households save energy by insulating their homes or replacing heat sources.
Reducing emissions is one of the EU’s strategies in the Green Deal for Europe, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 – a state where the EU emits no more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than it can absorb. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMU) is responsible for preparing the national greenhouse gas inventory.
