Dutch carbon emissions rising faster than economic growth

The CO2 emissions in the Netherlands are rising faster than the economic growth - in the third quarter emissions increased 6.8 percent compared to the same quarter last year. The economy grew with only 1.9 percent.

This is according to figures released by Statistics Netherlands on Friday. This is the third consecutive quarter that emissions rose faster than the economy. According to the statistics office, the increase in emissions can be attributed to the higher electricity production and more traffic, among other things.

In the third quarter energy companies, water companies and waste management companies produced 17 percent more CO2 than in the same period last year. These companies account for about 35 percent of the total emissions. This increase can largely be attributed to energy companies producing electricity - electricity export showed a sharp increase and more coal was used instead of natural gas in the production process.

The transport sector also emitted more CO2 in the third quarter, an increase of 4 percent compared to the same quarter last year. This is partly due to additional traffic movements associated with the growth of trade flows. The transport sector accounts for 18 percent of the total emissions.

Emissions from the agricultural, mining, industry and construction sectors remained about the same. The emission-intensive chemical industry actually saw a decrease due to less production.