The European Union managed to reduce the emission of harmful gases by almost three percent, the most in Bulgaria, Estonia and Slovenia.
In the first quarter of this year, the EU economy emitted a total of 941 million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide, which is a decrease of 2,9 percent compared to the same period last year when it amounted to 969 million tons, reports N1.
Most CO2 came from European households, as much as a quarter and a half of the total pollution - 24 percent, and only then from industry 20 percent, electricity and gas supply 19 percent, agriculture 13 percent, while transport emitted only 10 percent of carbon dioxide.
It was transport that saw an increase in the emission of harmful gases by 7,2 percent, while the largest decrease was recorded in the gas and electricity sector - 12,3 percent.
Three countries, Bulgaria, Estonia and Slovenia, lead the list of countries that achieved the greatest reduction in harmful gas emissions. Bulgaria decreased by 15,2 percent, Estonia by 14,7, and Slovenia by 9,6.
An increase in pollution was recorded in six EU countries. These are Ireland 9,1 percent, Latvia 7,5, Slovakia 1.9, Denmark 1.7, Sweden 1.6 and Finland 0.3.
Eurostat also noted the connection between the emission of harmful gases and changes in the Gross Domestic Product.
In most of the 21 European countries where there was a reduction in the emission of harmful gases, there was no drop in GDP.
Slovenia, with a drop in emissions of harmful gases of 9.6 percent, recorded a GDP growth of 0.7 percent, and Croatia, with a drop in emissions of harmful gases of 0,3 percent, achieved a GDP growth of 2.8 percent.
However, in six countries, a possible negative impact of the reduction of harmful gas emissions on the decline in GDP was recorded. These are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary and Poland, while in all six countries where the emission of harmful gases increased, there was an increase in GDP.
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