Economy grows even with reduction in pollutant emissions

For the first time since 1995, Portugal recorded three consecutive years (2021-2023) of economic growth in parallel with a reduction in pollutant emissions, the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed this Wednesday.

"For the first time since 1995, the year the statistical series began, Portugal has recorded three consecutive years in which economic growth coincided with a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions," the INE indicated in its atmospheric emissions report.

According to the institute, in 2023 Portugal also recorded its lowest carbon intensity since 1995, in a context of economic growth.

In 2023, the Global Warming Potential (GWP) decreased by 8.9% compared to the previous year, totaling 52.7 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent, “the lowest result in almost three decades”.

This trend, the institute stressed, highlights “a persistent dissociation” between economic developments and emissions.

The reduction occurred in a context of economic growth, with Gross Value Added (GVA) increasing by 3.1%.

The combination of the reduction in GWP emissions (-8.9%) and the increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (+3.1%) resulted in an 11.7% drop in the carbon intensity of the national economy, which reached “the lowest level recorded since 1995”, explained the statisticians.

According to the INE, the reduction was “strongly influenced” by the energy sector, in particular, due to the “significant increase” in electricity production from renewable sources, which represented more than 60% of the total.

"This growth was fueled by favorable hydrological conditions. Also contributing to this reduction were reduced dependence on natural gas-fired power plants, whose production fell by more than 40%, and the residual effect of the closure of the Sines and Pego coal-fired plants, which was consolidated in 2022 and fully reflected in 2023," he added.