New statistics indicate that not only do Icelanders release more CO2 than other Scandinavians; Iceland is the only country in the region that has not reduced greenhouse gas emissions but rather increased them.
According to the Nordic Statistical Yearbook 2010, Icelanders emit more greenhouse gases per capita than any other Scandinavians, with each Icelander releasing 15.3 tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. By contrast, each Swede releases about 6.9 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. Click image for full-size:
Furthermore, while every country in Scandinavia is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Iceland has actually increased their emissions. When compared to other countries, the increase is dramatic. Click image for full-size:
Iceland’s per capita energy consumption also appears to be the highest in Scandinavia, and Iceland’s industry sector consumes more energy per capita than the transport sectors of Norway and Sweden combined. Click image for full-size:
While the report does not indicate what may have contributed to the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in Iceland, contributing factors may include how many people live in an urban area in Iceland, when compared to other Nordic countries. The report points out that in Norway and Denmark, about 30% to 40% live in the vicinity of their respective capitals, while in Iceland, it is 60%.
But perhaps the greatest contributing factor is that Iceland has the greatest numbers of cars per capita of any Nordic country, and is ranked #12 in the world, by 2009 statistics.
The full report is free to download at the above linked site.
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