Austria’s Annual Air Emission Inventory 1990–2024 provides an overview of national emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) and particulate matter (PM2.5) for the years 1990 to 2024. Emission trends and recalculations of these air pollutants, regulated in the European NEC Directive, are described.
The results show emission reductions for all pollutants 2023–2024: SO2 declined by 1.6 %, NOx by 4.2 %, NMVOC by 2.2 %, NH3 by 2.5 %, and PM2.5 by 3.0 %. Lower SO2 emissions mainly resulted from the reduced use of high sulfur fuels in the cement industry, but also lower steel and pig iron production. The reduction of NOx was largely due to the reduced activity of diesel passenger cars. NMVOC emissions were driven by sectors solvents, agriculture and households. Main reason for the reduced NH3 emissions was the decrease of inorganic fertilizer application. PM2.5 emissions declined mainly due to the lower biomass consumption from residential heating, but also decreasing emissions from the chemical industry. In 2024 Austria fulfills the respective national emission reduction commitments for all air pollutants covered by the NEC Directive.