Climate Change in Eastern Europe

Trends by sector

GHG emissions from agriculture in Ukraine between 1990 and 2007 made up 7-14% of the total. The reduction of 70% in emissions from agriculture between 1990 and 2007 has been much more significant than reductions in other sectors. Emissions fell from over 100 to just 29 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent. This fact is explained by a major decline in livestock, a reduction in the area of cultivated land and in fertilizer use, as well as changes in manure collection, storage and usage. In Ukraine manure is sometimes used as an alternative fuel. For example, since 2009 the Ukrainian Dairy Company in Kyiv oblast has been using a biogas plant that currently produces 635 kW of electricity and 662 kW of heat. It plans to increase capacity by 330 kW of electricity and 395 kW of heat.

The economy of Eastern Europe is characterized by high energy intensity in relation to GDP. So the region’s environ- ment is likely to get worse as the economy develops and GDP grows. The countries of the region have planned for this challenge and are taking action. According to the Belarus’s Concept of Energy Security, the Government plans to reduce the energy intensity of GDP by 50% by 2015 and by 60% by 2020 from a 2005 baseline. The Strategy on Energy Potential Development in Belarus for 2011-2015 and for the Period until 2020 is another planning tool of the Government. Its implementation should result in a reduction in energy intensity of GDP, bringing Belarus closer to developed countries with a 2.5-3 times lower energy intensity (0.24 kg of oil equivalent per USD). According to the Energy Strategy of Ukraine for the Period until 2030, consumption of energy resources per unit of production should reduce in such a way as to decrease the energy intensity of GDP by 26% by 2020 in comparison to 2007. In Ukraine, industry comes second in the share of GHG emissions after the extraction, production and consumption of energy. Between 1990 and 2007 the share of industry in total emissions was 13-25%, with the highest levels registered from 2001 to 2007, the years which saw the rapid recovery of the metallurgical and mining sector. GHG emissions from industry have reduced by 24% (from 128 million to 98 million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent) between 1990 and 2007. Unlike Ukraine, in Belarus and Moldova the second place in GHG emissions belongs to agriculture. In 1990 its share in Moldova was 12% but in 2005 that had reached 20%. In the same year in Belarus emissions from agriculture reached 25% of total emissions.

Key sources of electricity in 2007 (%)

Ukraine

Belarus

Moldova

Hydropower Natural gas

energy Nuclear Coal

Produced by ZOI Environment Network, 2011.

Source: World Bank, Development Indicators Database 2011.

33