Gibraltar’s community-scale greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory for the 2020 calendar year is now available online: https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/environment/climate-change.

This covers all the main emission sources in Gibraltar, including emissions from electricity consumption, road transport, aviation and the treatment of solid waste and wastewater. Certain sources, such as international shipping are excluded due to the very large impact on overall totals and the lack of potential local influence. This sub-set of emissions is considered Gibraltar’s ‘manageable’ emissions.

Almost half of Gibraltar’s emissions in 2020 came from transport (44.6%), with these emissions dominated by local boats (28.2%) and significant contributions from road transport (11.4%) Aviation accounted for only 5% of total emissions.

The other half of the emissions came primarily from stationary energy (44.4%) with waste and industrial processes and product use (IPPU) making smaller contributions of 7.1% and 3.9% of total emissions respectively.

In 2020 Gibraltar’s total manageable emissions decreased by 28% since 2015 (when emissions peaked) and by 12% since 2019.

ê  Emissions from electricity generation have decreased by 13% since 2019, and by 35% since 2015. This due to the introduction of natural gas (rather than gas oil only) as a fuel for North Mole Power Station. The amount of electricity produced/consumed has remained fairly static.

ê  Emissions from road transport in Gibraltar have decreased by 51% since 2019 due to less fuel being imported into Gibraltar – likely a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ê  Emissions from aviation decreased by 55% since 2019 as a result of reduced flights – again, this is likely a result of the pandemic in 2020.

ê  Emissions from waste decreased by 9% since 2019, and by 12% since 2015, due to a decrease in total waste arisings sent to landfill.

é  Emissions from IPPU increased by 1% since 2019, and by 4% since 2015. This follows trends in UK data that is used as a proxy for Gibraltar’s emissions from product use.

Minister for the Environment and Climate Change John Cortes said, “These headline figures are encouraging and suggest that Gibraltar is on track to meet its climate commitments.  However, we must remember that these represent the pandemic year when many of our usual activities were curtailed. When the 2021 inventory is ready we will be able to see more clearly how much of this reduction is real and how much was an artefact of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Judging by the separate air quality trends we published recently, while it is likely that emissions in 2021  will be up on 2020, I suspect  that they will still be below previous years.  I do hope so, as the community is much more aware and committed than ever  to progressing on these environmental matters.”

ENDS