Explanation of Key Trends - Carbon Monoxide

CO total emissions show a falling trend over the whole interval, with emission reductions of 80.6 % between 1990 and 2021 and a renewed interval of emission reductions in the last years.

The Main Driver for CO emissions is Fuel Combustion (NFR 1.A) with 90% of total 1990 emissions and an 86% reduction between 1990 and 2021. In the Fuel Combustion category, Road Transport (NFR 1.A.3.b) is responsible for 57% of the 1990 emissions, with Passenger Cars (NFR 1.A.3.b.i) emitting nearly all of it. Reductions of about 89% in those categories between 1990 and 2021 are mainly due to constantly improving fuels and increasingly stricter regulations resulting in technical improvements.

Other Sectors (NFR 1.A.4, including commercial/institutional and residential sources) are responsible for about 27% of 1990 Fuel Combustion emissions with a 82% reduction between 1990 and 2021.

Table: Carbon monoxide emissions 1990-2021, in kilotonnes [kt]