Climate · emissions beyond borders
Romania cut its emissions at home by 11 to 14 percent. Abroad, they rose by 59 to 80 percent.
Emissions from Romanian consumption are falling, as long as they happen in Romania. The emissions in factories, power plants and fields elsewhere, for goods, food and buildings, are rising. Climate targets don't count them.
- The footprint of Romania is 38–39 percent higher than official emissions according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). Exactly how much depends on the model.
- 41–42 percent of the footprint arises abroad (2022), against 24–29 percent in 2010.
- Official emissions fell by 12 percent between 2010 and 2022, while the footprint rose by 9 percent.
- Per person, Romania causes 6.9 tonnes, less than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes (rank 24 of 27, Eurostat 2023). Between 2010 and 2019 the footprint rose by 1 percent, while it fell in most EU countries; between 2019 and 2023 it rose by 2 percent, while it fell in most EU countries.
- Outside Romania, most emissions for Romanian consumption are released in China, Russia and Germany.
- Romania imports more emissions than it exports: 26–28 megatonnes net in 2022. Since 2010, what it earns from foreign demand grew by 109 percent (real); the emissions for it rose by 4 percent.
- Satellites see about as much methane over Romania as the country reports (2023).
In short
Emissions caused by Romanian consumption and investment, by location
The official figure falls faster than the footprint
The figure in the news is emissions on Romanian territory, according to the national inventory (via Eurostat). It fell by 12 percent between 2010 and 2022. The footprint rose by 9 percent over the same years. The official figure counts emissions for what is exported, but not for what is imported.
Romania compared with the other EU countries
Per person, Romania causes 6.9 tonnes of greenhouse gas (Eurostat, 2023), less than the EU average of 9.0 tonnes, rank 24 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 Romanian consumption, most emissions abroad occur in China, followed by Russia, Germany and Bulgaria. Pick a year or play the timeline. Click a country to see how it changed since 2010.
Who Romania emits for
In 2022, 30–31 megatonnes of greenhouse gases were released in Romania for consumption and investment in other countries. Meanwhile, 56–59 megatonnes were released elsewhere for Romanian consumption. That makes Romania a net importer of emissions: 26–28 megatonnes more are released elsewhere for Romania 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.