Slovakia’s 2024 Emission Inventory: Significant Drop in Industrial Emissions and Surprising Trend in Transport

The Emissions and Biofuels Department of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) has successfully submitted official greenhouse gas emission data for 2024 to the European Union and the EEA. Slovakia shows a year-on-year decline across most key sectors, with total emissions now more than 55% lower than in the 1990 base year. However, the report also warns of the decreasing capacity of Slovak forests to sequester carbon.

Yesterday, Slovakia fulfilled its reporting obligation by submitting its complete emission inventory to the European Environment Agency (EEA). The EEA compiles national data from Member States into a summary report for the entire EU by 15 March, which is subsequently forwarded to the UNFCCC Secretariat.

Total emissions in 2024 reached 33,909.02 kt of $CO_{2}$ equivalent (excluding the LULUCF sector – removals). The following factors contributed most significantly to the overall year-on-year decrease:

Industrial Transformation: Emissions from industrial processes fell by 7%, with the most notable shifts occurring in the mineral products and chemical industry sectors.
Agricultural Changes: The sector recorded a 40% drop in nitrous oxide emissions, a direct result of adjustments in methodology and the intensity of agricultural soil fertilisation.
Waste Management: A 3% decrease confirmed the long-term trajectory of reducing the climate impact of landfills.

A Turning Point in Road Transport?

Following a long period of unsuccessful efforts to reduce transport emissions, 2024 brought an interesting shift. Emissions from road transport fell by 1.7% year-on-year. This marks the second consecutive year in which diesel and petrol consumption declined naturally, without the influence of external global crises. At the same time, the data shows that fleet transformation is still in its early stages. The share of electric vehicles in the total passenger car fleet reached 1%, with their share of 2024 sales at 2.3%.

Critical State of Forests Weakens Removals

Analysis by SHMÚ and the National Forest Centre (NLC) highlights a negative trend in the LULUCF sector (Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry). The country’s capacity to sequester carbon in forests and soil fell by 30% year-on-year. The primary cause is a 20% increase in incidental felling, driven largely by an extensive bark beetle outbreak in Central Slovakia. Experts anticipate that due to the overall ageing of forest stands, Slovakia’s capacity for natural carbon sequestration will continue to decline in the coming years.

Future Outlook

The 2024 data confirms that Slovakia is meeting its reduction targets but faces new challenges regarding carbon removals. Whether the decline in transport emissions is a more permanent trend will be indicated by the first estimates for 2025, which SHMÚ will publish this summer.