2015 ETS Emissions Analysis

Total emissions are 11mt down, or 0.6%, from 1813mt to 1802mt

• Exact levels uncertain, as 10% of emissions have not been published (mostly Polish)

Power and heat emissions fell 0.6%, from 1073mt to 1065mt

• This fall follows a massive 8% in 2014 power sector emissions, due to a record mild year.   It is incredible that emissions in 2015 still fell as weather moved to be more “normal”.
• This underlines the large long-term  trend of falling emissions in the European power sector as renewable electricity displaces fossil.
• UK coal power emissions saw a huge fall of 23%, whilst UK gas power also fell.
• German lignite power emissions fell slightly slower than overall EUETS emissions, and are still responsible for 9.0% of all EUETS emissions.
• Netherlands power emissions increased  by 11% as new coal plants came online.  However, emissions should fall again as older coal plants are decommissioned in 2016 and 2017.
• A dry region in Spain and Portugal significantly increased coal power emissions there; whilst a wet Nordic region led to lower coal generation in Denmark and Finland.

Industrial emissions fell 0.3% from 740mt to 738mt

• Emissions have fallen only very marginally.
• UK steel emissions fell 18%.  Excluding this fall, total European industrial emissions were the same in 2015 as in 2014.