Industrial pollutant releases to air in Europe

Industrial releases of air pollutants damaging to human health and the environment decreased between 2010 and 2023 in Europe. Emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulphur oxides (SO_x)), and other pollutants (e.g. nitrogen oxides (NO_x), particulate matter (PM₁₀) and heavy metals) all declined significantly. The value that industry generated for the European economy during this period increased, and therefore brings an increase in efficiency in terms of the ratio of emissions generated and the value output of the sector.

Figure 1. Industrial releases of pollutants to air and economic activity in the EU-27

The activity of European industry results in the release of pollutants to air. These include greenhouse gases, such as CO₂ and acidifying pollutants (e.g. sulphur oxides (SO_x)). Other pollutants released that damage human health and the environment include nitrogen oxides (NO_x), particulate matter (in this case PM₁₀), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and heavy metals including cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg).

To reduce pollutant emissions, the use of natural resources and the generation of waste, EU industrial policy aims to drive a transition to a zero pollution, climate neutral industry based on circular material flows. Monitoring the release of air pollutants is key to tracking progress towards achieving these goals.

Industrial emissions to air are reported under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention), Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action (for CO₂) and the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Regulation (E-PRTR). The E-PRTR has recently been rebranded as European Industrial Emission Portal by Regulation (EU) 2024/1244), which covers releases from large industrial facilities involved only in certain activities.

Between 2010 and 2023, industrial releases of heavy metals (Cd, Hg and Pb), SO_x and PM₁₀decreased by over 75% in the European Union. Releases of other pollutants decreased less but still achieved significant reductions: NO_x almost 60%, NMVOC by 42% and CO₂ by 38%. In the same period, the value that industry generated for the economy — as measured by gross added value (GVA) — increased, indicating that European industry has become less emission intensive, as the ratio of air pollutant releases to the production of industrial goods decreased. GVA in 2023 was 1% less than in 2022, yet still rebounding after the COVID-19 pandemic, while emissions confirmed the overall downward trajectory.

The decrease in industrial pollutant emissions to air can be partly attributed to European regulation, such as the EU Emissions Trading System and the Industrial Emissions Directive. Improvements in energy efficiency and abatement technologies, and the relocation of various heavy-polluting and energy-intensive manufacturing industries (such as textile or metal production) outside Europe also contributes.

Figure 2. Change of pollutant releases into air in EU-27 countries in the period 2010-2023

Since 2010, while recovering from the economic downturn impact of 2008–2009, emission levels from the industrial sector decreased steadily in most pollutants. Industrial emissions are very complex reality in terms of substances to consider, their effects on health and the environment, and the very different realities across European countries.

Patterns can be identified. Emissions of pollutants associated primarily to activities that include combustion processes (e.g. electricity producers, iron and steel works, cement plants), are generally decreasing across the board. This refers to emissions of NO_x, SO_x and PM₁₀ emissions. This trend is consistent with the improvement of environmental performance of these industries and shifts of fuels (with a progressive abandonment of coal). Evidence points to EU policy as one of the key drivers of these positive developments, as significant emission reductions (over 50% since 2010) occurred in most countries who recently joined the European Union.

Heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb) are emitted in relatively lower amounts and have a natural variable trend over time. Several reasons contribute, some related to the mechanism of reporting (which includes estimations and operates with minimum thresholds), and others related to actual developments in the industry.

Supporting information

Definition

This indicator tracks trends of industrial emissions of selected air pollutants. The indicator includes releases of carbon dioxide (CO₂), the most significant greenhouse gas, acidifying pollutants (sulphur oxides (SO_x), nitrogen oxides (NO_x)), and other pollutants that damage human health and the environment, such as particulate matter (PM₁₀), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg)). These trends are presented together with the trend of gross value added (GVA) by industry, as an indicator of the economic contribution of the sector.

The aggregated EU-27 trends feature in Figure 1, while country specific trend changes are offered in Figure 2.

The geographical coverage comprises the 27-EU Member States (EU-27) (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden).

The temporal coverage is 2010-2022. Data were reported to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR).

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

Queries are applied to the Industrial Emissions Database (where the E-PRTR is included) to extract and aggregate emissions reported individually for each operator in Europe to produce figure 1 and 2. Emissions are aggregated at country and European level, indexed to 2010 levels and a trend line is then constructed.

For Figure 1, the gross added value is indexed to 2010 levels and a trend line constructed.

Gap filling was performed to complete data missing for some countries in the last years of the timeline. Future versions will account to more complete datasets as countries resolve these issues as time passes by.

While E-PRTR contains data since 2007, the earlier years are known as incomplete and of lesser quality. This has led to the indicator showing data as from 2010.

Methodology for gap filling

Czechia, Lithuania, Malta and Slovakia did not report any data from 2023. In these cases data from 2022 have been used to populate the emissions trend.

Policy/environmental relevance

Anthropogenic air emissions contribute to a wide range of detrimental effects for the environment and human health. While many human activities contribute to these emissions, industry is a very significant sources. This indicator presents substances where industry contribution is particularly relevant.

The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) require industry operators to submit, among other data, values for releases of pollutants to the atmosphere across 91 pollutants.

Air pollution and air quality are regulated through various mechanisms in the EU. Industrial air emissions operate with a dedicated policy, Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions. This EU legislation imposes a case-by-case permit for large industrial operators which contains emission limit values to air. These emissions, when above certain annual load thresholds, are to be reported to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR).

This indicator is useful to capture how the industrial emission policy contributes to a progressive reduction of air releases in Europe. Due to the way the reporting mechanisms are designed, this indicator reflects emissions from large operators and only when annual releases are above the legally established thresholds. In other words, the indicator tracks emissions significant at a European scale and does not cover emissions from smaller operators.

Targets

No target is specified.

Accuracy and uncertaintiesData sources and providers

Metadata

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Industrial pollutant releases to air in Europe

Figure 1. Industrial releases of pollutants to air and economic activity in the EU-27

Figure 2. Change of pollutant releases into air in EU-27 countries in the period 2010-2023

Supporting information

Methodology for indicator calculation

Methodology for gap filling

Targets

Methodology uncertainty

Data sets uncertainty

Rationale uncertainty

Metadata

References and footnotes