For the first time since 1995, the inaugural year of the statistical series, Portugal has recorded three consecutive years where economic growth coincided with a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in their atmospheric emissions report.
In 2023, Portugal also registered the lowest carbon intensity since 1995, amidst an economic growth context.
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, marking “the lowest result in nearly three decades.”
This trend, emphasized by the institute, highlights “a persistent decoupling” between economic development and emissions.
The reduction occurred alongside economic growth, with the Gross Value Added (GVA) increasing by 3.1%.
The simultaneous reduction in GWP emissions (-8.9%) and the increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (+3.1%) led to an 11.7% decline in the carbon intensity of the national economy, reaching “the lowest level recorded since 1995,” statisticians explained.
According to INE, the reduction was “strongly influenced” by the energy sector, notably due to the “significant increase” in renewable energy electricity production, which accounted for more than 60% of the total.
“This growth was favored by favorable hydrological conditions. Additionally, the reduced reliance 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 plants, consolidated in 2022 and fully reflected in 2023, also contributed to this reduction,” it added.
