Words by

Owen Tyrie

Photo by

Art Bicnick

Greenhouse gas emissions in Iceland decreased by 2% between 2018 and 2019; the largest decrease since 2012, Fréttablaðið reports.

Emissions from Iceland’s direct responsibility decreased by 8% from 2005 to 2019 but this does not include the carbon quota that Iceland sells to other countries. Since 1990, Iceland’s emissions have increased by 28%.

These statistics were stated in the Environment Agency’s annual report on greenhouse gas emissions which is submitted to the EU and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister of the Environment, says that this is very gratifying news. “This indicates that the measures that have been taken in this country in recent years have begun to show a measurable contraction,” he says.

The start of something good

“The figures show that the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in Iceland has begun,” says Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources in a press release.

“It is extremely gratifying and shows us that the standstill has passed. This is the largest decline in emissions in almost a decade. For me, this is proof that our actions and the change of mindset of recent years are beginning to pay off.”

The main sources of emissions in Iceland came from road transport, which amounted to 33% of all emissions.

Oil consumption on fishing vessels took up 18%, followed by emissions from refrigerants (7%) and emissions from landfills (6%).

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