Portugal is the 71st most polluting country in the world, in a list of 250 countries and territories in the world, in which China appears as the most polluting and the Pitcairn Islands (British) the least.
The values are part of the latest global analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions prepared by Climate Trace, an organization founded by former Vice President of the United States Al Gore, which announced them this Friday in Baku, Azerbaijan, within the scope. of the UN climate summit, COP19, which is being held there.
Last year it was in 72nd place, having fluctuated this decade between 71st and 72nd places.
GHG emissions in the world exceed 61 billion metric tons, with China in first place but far ahead, with 17 billion, followed by the United States, with more than six billion, and then India with almost four thousand millions.
In the organization’s accounts 86 million tons from Portugal (the national accounts indicate less) place the country better positioned than Sweden or Greece, but worse than, for example, Hungary, Denmark, Switzerland or Iceland, which has only nine million tons.
By districts, those that emitted the most GHG this year are Lisbon and Porto, almost 12 million tons in the capital and nine in Porto, the rest varying significantly between six and two, like Beja. Setúbal stands out, with 9.7 million tons of CO2, especially thanks to the Sines refinery.
On the map of continental Portugal, the main emission areas are all near the sea, but two stand out: the Galp refinery in Sines and the Humberto Delgado airport in Lisbon.
According to data, Portela airport emitted 3.35 million tons of CO2 last year and this year it is already 3.48 million tons.
The international airport is the most polluting structure in the country and emissions continue to increase. According to the page 1.45 million tons in 2021, 2.86 million in 2022 (when it surpassed Galp) and 3.35 last year and 3.48 this year.
On the contrary, the Galp refinery in Sines has experienced a decline in the last two years. In 2021 it issued 2.25 million tons, the following year it rose to 2.40 and in 2023 and 2024 it only reached 2.19.
The Port of Sines appears in third place as the sector that emits the most CO2, 1.19 million tons this year and on an upward trajectory since 2021.
In fourth place, with 964 thousand tons of CO2 appears Carnes Landeiro, in Barcelos, and then with 947 thousand the Ribatejo Thermoelectric Plant, in Carregado. The Cimpor cement factory in Souselas, near Coimbra, with almost 893 thousand tons this year, ranks sixth.
In global terms, the data concludes that cities in Asia and the United States are those that emit the most GHGs.
Using ground and satellite observations, supplemented with artificial intelligence “to fill in the gaps,” the Climate Trace organization sought to quantify heat-trapping carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, as well as other traditional air pollutants globally.
HE Earth’s total pollution from carbon dioxide and methane increased 0.7% to 61.2 billion metric tons.with methane increasing by 0.2%.
“The numbers are higher than other data sets because we have complete coverage and see more emissions in more sectors,” said Gavin McCormick, co-founder of Climate Trace.
Source: Observadora
