Air emission trends 1990-2020

Between 1990 and 2020, SO₂ emissions fell by 5.5%, due to the decline in industrial production caused by the Corona pandemic and the phase-out of coal in electricity production. Overall, SO₂ emissions have been reduced by 59.4% since 2005 and by 85.7% since 1990. The main reasons for this decline are a reduced sulphur content in mineral oil products, the installation of desulphurisation units and the shutdown of coal-fired power stations.

Between 1990 and 2020, NOx emissions fell by around 14,1%. Compared to 2005, emissions declined by 49.9%, compared to 1990 they declined by 43.3%. The major source category for NOx emissions in Austria is the road transport sector. This downward trend is especially due to the progress achieved in exhaust after-treatment for heavy duty engines. The short term emissions decline in 2020 is primarily caused by the pandemic related reduction of passenger car mileage.

From 2019 to 2020, emissions increased by 2.1%. The main reason for this was the pandemic-related use of sanitizers. Since 2005, there has been a 29.3% decrease in NMVOC emissions and a 66.9% decrease since 1990. The most significant reductions since 1990 have mainly been due to fitting catalytic converters to vehicles in the transport sector and to legislative measures limiting the use and emissions of solvents.

Compared to 2019, Austria’s ammonia emissions fell by around 0.8% in 2020. NH3 emissions are almost entirely caused by agricultural activities (94%). Since 2005, emissions have increased by approximately 3.7%, with a declining trend of 5.6% since 1990. The reasons for the increase in NH3 emissions since 2005 are - despite the declining cattle numbers - the legally prescribed keeping of cattle in loose housing, the increase in more powerful dairy cows and the increased use of urea as nitrogen fertilizer.

Between 2019 and 2020, PM_2.5 emissions fell by 5.4%. The main reason for this is the pandemic-related reduction in car traffic. Since 2005, the decrease in emissions has been 41.2%, and 51.1% since 1990. Significant reductions in emissions have been achieved in domestic heating due to a significantly reduced use of coal and, in recent years, by switching to modern biomass heating systems. In road transport, improvements in engine and exhaust after treatment technologies (e.g. particulate filters) play an important role in reducing emissions.