Newsroom
Cyprus had the largest greenhouse gas footprint per person in the European Union in 2023, reaching 14.8 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per resident, according to new figures released by Eurostat.
Ireland ranked second with 14.0 tonnes per capita, followed by Luxembourg at 12.7 tonnes. At the opposite end of the scale, Portugal recorded the lowest footprint at 6.5 tonnes per person. Bulgaria followed with 6.8 tonnes, while Sweden and Romania each reported 6.9 tonnes per capita.
Across the EU as a whole, the emissions footprint tied to the consumption of goods and services averaged 9.0 tonnes of CO₂ equivalents per person in 2023, roughly one tonne lower than in 2022. Eurostat explains that this measure captures emissions produced throughout the full supply chain of items consumed within the EU, including those generated outside the bloc for imported products and services.
In total, consumption-related emissions in the EU reached 4.0 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalents last year. By comparison, emissions produced directly within EU borders amounted to 3.3 billion tonnes.
Looking at the longer-term trend, Eurostat reports that between 2013 and 2023 emissions linked to consumption fell by 12.9%, while those tied to production dropped by 18.6%. The agency noted a pronounced dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, consumption-based emissions had climbed back to their 2020 level, whereas production-related emissions continued to decline, falling a further 3.5%.
