Climate · emissions beyond borders
Greece cut its emissions at home by 44 to 45 percent, and abroad by 3 to 10 percent.
Emissions from Greek consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Greece. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are falling too, but more slowly. Greece's National Climate Law doesn't count them.
- The footprint of Greece is 29–31 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 45–47 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 32–36 percent in 2010.
- Official emissions fell by 35 percent between 2010 and 2022; the footprint only by 32 percent.
- Per person, Greece causes 9.0 tonnes, the same as the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 17 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint fell by 33 percent, faster than in most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it fell by 10 percent, faster than in most EU countries.
- Outside Greece, most emissions for Greek consumption are released in Russia, China and Germany.
- Greece imports more emissions than it exports: 12–20 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 46 percent (real); the emissions for it rose by 9 percent.
- Satellites see about as much methane over Greece as the country reports (2023).
In short
Emissions caused by Greek consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Greek territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 35 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint fell by 32 percent over the same years. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Greece compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Greece causes 9.0 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), the same as the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 17 of 27.
Checked from space
Satellites measure how much methane hangs in the air. From that, scientists can work back to how much a country emits. That puts an independent measurement next to the official figures.
Where the emissions occur
For Greek consumption, most emissions abroad occur in Russia, followed by China, Germany and Bulgaria. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Greece emits for
In 2022, 30–33 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Greece for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 45–50 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Greek consumption. That makes Greece a net importer of emissions: 12–20 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Greece than the other way round.
How we calculate
A footprint follows every euro that households, government and companies spend on final products back through the supply chain, to the country where the emissions occur. So-called input-output models do this, built on trade statistics and emission inventories from dozens of countries.