Industry

Change language

The environmental performance of European industry has improved over the past decades. Changes have occurred for a number of reasons: stricter environmental regulation, improvements in energy efficiency, a general tendency for European industry to move away from certain heavy and more polluting types of manufacture, and companies' participation in voluntary schemes aiming to reduce their environmental impact. Despite these improvements, industry today is still responsible for a significant burden on our environment in terms of pollution and waste generated by the sector. More

Key facts and messages: While legislation has delivered concrete achievements in reducing pollution, a transition to a greener European industrial sector will require integrated approaches, with stronger control of pollution at source, incentives to change operating... more; The environmental performance of European industry has improved in recent decades. However, the sector is still responsible for significant amounts of pollution to air, water and soil, as well as generation of waste. more

Subtopics

Industrial pollution country profiles (2016)

Browse catalogue

Filtered by

Coal-fired power plants remain top industrial polluters in Europe

News 09 Jul 2017

Coal-fired power plants across Europe are responsible for the largest amounts of key pollutants released into the air, according to a briefing and updated industrial pollution data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

Application of EU’s Emissions Trading System rules improving

News 19 May 2017

Application of the rules that underpin the European Union’s Emissions Trading System is improving, with more complete data being reported by EU Member States, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency today. However, improvements are still needed in monitoring and reporting, both by operators and countries.

Fluorinated gases continue to be phased down in Europe

News 13 Dec 2016

The production, import and export of fluorinated-gases (F-gases) continued to decline in the European Union, according to a new report published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). F-gases, which are mainly used in cooling and heating equipment, have a high global warming potential and their phase-down is therefore essential to global efforts to mitigate climate change.

Europe reduced use of ozone layer-harming chemicals in 2015

News 16 Sep 2016

Chemicals which harm the ozone layer continue to be phased out in the European Union. In 2015, consumption of these chemicals reached its lowest level since 2006, partly due to a drop in imports according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Coal-fired power plants remain top industrial polluters in Europe Coal-fired power plants across Europe are responsible for the largest amounts of key pollutants released into the air, according to a briefing and updated industrial pollution data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

Application of EU’s Emissions Trading System rules improving Application of the rules that underpin the European Union’s Emissions Trading System is improving, with more complete data being reported by EU Member States, according to a new assessment published by the European Environment Agency today. However, improvements are still needed in monitoring and reporting, both by operators and countries.

Fluorinated gases continue to be phased down in Europe The production, import and export of fluorinated-gases (F-gases) continued to decline in the European Union, according to a new report published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). F-gases, which are mainly used in cooling and heating equipment, have a high global warming potential and their phase-down is therefore essential to global efforts to mitigate climate change.

Europe reduced use of ozone layer-harming chemicals in 2015 Chemicals which harm the ozone layer continue to be phased out in the European Union. In 2015, consumption of these chemicals reached its lowest level since 2006, partly due to a drop in imports according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

All Items

Filtered by

Releases of pollutants to the environment from Europe's industrial sector – 2015

Publication 09 Jul 2017

The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) ensures public access to information on pollutant releases to the environment from Europe’s largest industrial facilities. This briefing, based upon recently updated E-PRTR data, provides details of Europe’s largest emitting facilities for selected key pollutants in 2015. A more detailed assessment of the large combustion plants (LCP) sector also highlights the ongoing shift away from certain fossil fuels in the sector over the past decade, as well as improvements made to the sector’s environmental performance.

Fluorinated greenhouse gases 2015

Publication 13 Dec 2016

Data reported by companies on the production, import and export of fluorinated greenhouse gases in the European Union.

Ozone-depleting substances 2015

Publication 16 Sep 2016

This report summarises the data reported by undertakings in accordance with the ODS Regulation for 2015 and looks at the major trends since 2006. Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction, and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting substances in the European Union

Ozone-depleting substances 2013

Publication 15 Sep 2014

Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting substances in the European Union.

Releases of pollutants to the environment from Europe's industrial sector – 2015 The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) ensures public access to information on pollutant releases to the environment from Europe’s largest industrial facilities. This briefing, based upon recently updated E-PRTR data, provides details of Europe’s largest emitting facilities for selected key pollutants in 2015. A more detailed assessment of the large combustion plants (LCP) sector also highlights the ongoing shift away from certain fossil fuels in the sector over the past decade, as well as improvements made to the sector’s environmental performance.

Fluorinated greenhouse gases 2015 Data reported by companies on the production, import and export of fluorinated greenhouse gases in the European Union.

Ozone-depleting substances 2015 This report summarises the data reported by undertakings in accordance with the ODS Regulation for 2015 and looks at the major trends since 2006. Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction, and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting substances in the European Union

Ozone-depleting substances 2013 Aggregated data reported by companies on the import, export, production, destruction and feedstock and process agent use of ozone-depleting substances in the European Union.

All Items

Filtered by

Reported data on large combustion plants covered by Directive 2001/80/EC

Data 10 Jul 2017

The Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants (LCP Directive, 2001/80/EC) applies to combustion plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 50 MW, irrespective of the type of fuel used (solid, liquid or gaseous).

European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) data from EUTL

Data 15 Jun 2017

Data about the EU emission trading system (ETS). The EU ETS data viewer provides aggregated data on emissions and allowances, by country, sector and year. The data mainly comes from the EU Transaction Log (EUTL). Additional information on auctioning and scope corrections is included.

Towns and industrial activities in the Arctic

Figure 14 Jun 2017

Major activities already exist in the European Arctic, including high population density, infrastructure and economic engagement both on-shore and off-shore.

Emissions of air pollutants from large combustion plants

Indicator Assessment 19 Apr 2017

Large combustion plants are responsible for a significant proportion of anthropogenic emissions. In 2014, large combustion plant emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) contributed 45 % and 15 %, respectively, to EU-28 totals. Since 2004, emissions from large combustion plants in the EU-28 have decreased by 74 % for SO 2 , 47 % for NO x and 73 % for dust. The largest plants (> 500 MWth) account for only 24 % of large combustion plants but are responsible for around 80 % of all large combustion plant SO 2 , NO x and dust emissions. In 2014, of a total of 3 446 large combustion plants, 50 % of all emissions came from just 42, 82 and 31 plants for SO 2 , NOx and dust, respectively. One indicator of the environmental performance of large combustion plants is the ratio between emissions and fuel consumption (i.e. the implied emission factor). The implied emission factors for all three pollutants decreased significantly between 2004 and 2014 for all sizes of large combustion plants.

Large combustion plants operating in Europe

Indicator Assessment 19 Apr 2017

In 2014, there were just over 3 400 large combustion plants (LCPs) in the EU-28. The number of such plants increased by 10 % between 2004 and 2014. Most of this increase occurred between 2004 and 2010, with the trend stabilising after 2010. There was also an 19 % increase in installed capacity in the EU-28 between 2004 and 2014. The actual use of this capacity, in terms of the fuel input, remained broadly stable between 2004 and 2008, but since 2010 there has been a decreasing trend in total fuel used by large combustion plants in the EU-28. Fuel input fired in 2009 was 7 % lower than in 2008 and 3 % lower than in 2010. The mix of fuels used remained largely stable over this time, although with a shift away from liquid fuels towards biomass. Between 2010 and 2014, the consumption of solid fuels increased while that of natural gas decreased. The types of fuel consumed most in 2014 were solid fuels (mainly coal; 56 % of total fuel consumption) and natural gas (24 %). The installed capacity of large combustion plants in Europe is not equally distributed: Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom together accounted for more than 50 % of total fuel input and operating capacity in 2014.

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings set out in the NECD Annexes I and II

Figure 10 Jun 2016

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings (for compliance and for environmental objectives) of the four main air pollutants regulated in the 2001 National Emission Ceilings Directive

Emissions of fluorinated gases (F-gases)

Daviz Visualization 01 Jul 2015

The figure shows the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Emissions are provided in million tonnes CO2 equivalent using the Global Warming Potential values of the 2nd IPCC Assessment report (SAR).

Selected raw materials: world use and rare earth elements, germanium and tantalum

Figure 17 Dec 2010

For the graph: 2006 and projected 2030 world use of neodymium, germanium and tantalum. The technologies responsible for the growth in use of these materials by 2030 are indicated in red. For the map: The bars show estimated reserves of rare earth elements, germanium and tantalum.

Reported data on large combustion plants covered by Directive 2001/80/EC The Directive on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants (LCP Directive, 2001/80/EC) applies to combustion plants with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 50 MW, irrespective of the type of fuel used (solid, liquid or gaseous).

European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) data from EUTL Data about the EU emission trading system (ETS). The EU ETS data viewer provides aggregated data on emissions and allowances, by country, sector and year. The data mainly comes from the EU Transaction Log (EUTL). Additional information on auctioning and scope corrections is included.

Towns and industrial activities in the Arctic Major activities already exist in the European Arctic, including high population density, infrastructure and economic engagement both on-shore and off-shore.

Large combustion plants operating in Europe In 2014, there were just over 3 400 large combustion plants (LCPs) in the EU-28. The number of such plants increased by 10 % between 2004 and 2014. Most of this increase occurred between 2004 and 2010, with the trend stabilising after 2010. There was also an 19 % increase in installed capacity in the EU-28 between 2004 and 2014. The actual use of this capacity, in terms of the fuel input, remained broadly stable between 2004 and 2008, but since 2010 there has been a decreasing trend in total fuel used by large combustion plants in the EU-28. Fuel input fired in 2009 was 7 % lower than in 2008 and 3 % lower than in 2010. The mix of fuels used remained largely stable over this time, although with a shift away from liquid fuels towards biomass. Between 2010 and 2014, the consumption of solid fuels increased while that of natural gas decreased. The types of fuel consumed most in 2014 were solid fuels (mainly coal; 56 % of total fuel consumption) and natural gas (24 %). The installed capacity of large combustion plants in Europe is not equally distributed: Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom together accounted for more than 50 % of total fuel input and operating capacity in 2014.

EU progress in meeting emission ceilings set out in the NECD Annexes I and II EU progress in meeting emission ceilings (for compliance and for environmental objectives) of the four main air pollutants regulated in the 2001 National Emission Ceilings Directive

Emissions of fluorinated gases (F-gases) The figure shows the emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). Emissions are provided in million tonnes CO2 equivalent using the Global Warming Potential values of the 2nd IPCC Assessment report (SAR).

Selected raw materials: world use and rare earth elements, germanium and tantalum For the graph: 2006 and projected 2030 world use of neodymium, germanium and tantalum. The technologies responsible for the growth in use of these materials by 2030 are indicated in red. For the map: The bars show estimated reserves of rare earth elements, germanium and tantalum.

All Items

Filtered by