New numbers from Eurostat show Cyprus had the most greenhouse gas emissions per person in 2023. These emissions are from what people buy and use. The average person in Cyprus used about 14.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This is much higher than the average for the whole EU. This number includes emissions from making goods and services, even if they are made in other countries.
Ireland was second with 14.0 tonnes per person. Luxembourg followed with 12.7 tonnes. However, some Eastern European countries had much lower emissions. Portugal had the lowest at only 6.5 tonnes. Bulgaria, Sweden, and Romania were also below the EU average. This shows a big difference between EU countries.
In 2023, total emissions from consumption in the EU were 4.0 billion tonnes. This is a lot more than the 3.3 billion tonnes from making things inside the EU. This means many emissions come from goods and services that the EU imports.
Over the last ten years, emissions in the EU have gone down. Emissions from consumption fell by 12.9%. Emissions from production fell by 18.6%. The COVID-19 pandemic caused emissions to drop in 2020.
However, after the pandemic, things changed. By 2023, consumption emissions went back up to 2020 levels. Production emissions continued to decrease. This suggests emissions are happening more from what people use. Cyprus's high number needs more study. This will help Cyprus reduce its environmental impact.