Progress towards the Kyoto-protocol target

The changes in the emission of the Danish greenhouse gases are calculated in relation to the emissions in the base year. In accordance with the Kyoto Protocol Denmark’s base year emissions include the emissions of CO2, CH4 and N2O in 1990 in CO2-equivalents and the emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF6 in 1995 in CO2-equvivalents. In Table 1, the removals by sinks from sequestration due to afforestation since 1990 are included in the net emissions. When reporting to the Climate Convention all CO2 removals by sinks and emissions by sources in the Land-Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) categories are included in the calculation also.

Table 1	Base year	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Emission and removals, Kyoto-protocol (CO2-equivalents [1000 Gg])	69.3	79.6	73.4	75.6	79.0	76.3	89.6	79.9	75.9	72.7	68.1	69.6	68.8	74.0	68.0
Changes compared to base year (CO2-equivalents [1000 Gg])		10.3	4.1	6.3	9.7	7.0	20.3	10,6	6.6	3.4	-1.2	0.3	-0.5	4.6	-1.4
Changes compared to base year (%)		15	6	9	14	10	29	15	9	5	-2	0	-1	7	-2

Table 1 shows the Danish emission of greenhouse gases calculated in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol as mentioned above together with the changes compared to the base year emissions. In 2004 Denmark has decreased the emissions by 2%.

According to the EU Burden Sharing Agreement under the Kyoto Protocol Denmark is legally bound to reduce the emissions by 21% calculated on the basis of the base year emissions. However, the basis for Denmark accepting this legal commitment was that the Council and the Commission simultaneously adopted a joint declaration that, when establishing the assigned amounts in 2006, account would be taken of the assumptions regarding the base year which the Member States made in connection with the burden sharing agreement of June 1998. As stated in Denmark’s declaration on the burden sharing agreement of June 1998, Denmark’s assumptions included that the 21 per cent should be regarded in relation to an adjusted base year as the figures for emissions of CO2 in 1990, which Denmark used as a basis, had been adjusted for the extraordinarily large imports of electricity in the base year 1990. Taking this assumption into account Denmark’s assigned amount 2008-2012 corresponds to 59.7 mio. tonnes of CO2 equivalents annually as shown in the table 2. A decision on Denmark’s assigned amount is expected to be taken in 2006.

Table 2
Greenhouse gas	Base Year	Emissions	Units Gg=1000 tonnes.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)	1990	52,712.457	Gg CO₂ eq.
Methane (CH₄)	1990	5,692.000	Gg CO₂ eq.
Nitrous oxide (N₂O)	1990	10,593.311	Gg CO₂ eq.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)	1995	217.728	Gg CO₂ eq.
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)	1995	0.502	Gg CO₂ eq.
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆):	1995	107.338	Gg CO₂ eq.
Total		69,323.336	Gg CO₂ eq.
Total		69.323336	Million tonnes CO₂ eq.
Correction of CO₂ emissions in 1990 for electricity import		6.288205	Million tonnes CO₂ eq.
Total with CO₂ emissions in 1990 corrected for electricity import		75.611541	Million tonnes CO₂ eq.
Denmark’s annual assigned amount 2008-12 under the Burden Sharing Agreement (79% of the base year)		59.733117	Million tonnes CO₂ eq. per year
Denmark’s total assigned amount 2008-12		298.665587	Million tonnes CO₂ eq.

Progress toward the Kyoto targets

Greenhouse gases