Air pollutant emissions, 2012-2019

The air pollutant emissions indicator reports on national human-generated (anthropogenic) emissions of particulate matter (PM10 – particles smaller than 10 micrometres and PM2.5 – the subset of PM10 particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulphur dioxide (SO2), between 2012 and 2019. The grouped sources include: energy (combustion), transport, construction (non-combustion), road dust, industrial (non-combustion), agriculture, biomass burning, and waste. Only human-generated emissions were included in this emission inventory.

When air pollution levels are high, they can affect human and ecosystem health. An emissions inventory provides information on the sources and quantities of key air pollutants that are released into the atmosphere. By understanding the amounts that different sources contribute, air quality can be better managed and modelled.

More information on this dataset and how it relates to our environmental reporting indicators and topics can be found in the attached data quality pdf.