05/06/2026
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY - PORTUGAL IS THE EU COUNTRY WITH THE THIRD LOWEST CO2 EMMISSIONS
Portugal is among the European Union countries with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita and is above the European average in the consumption and production of renewable energy.
However, it is also a country that remains highly dependent on automobiles and petroleum fuels, and where public transport has lost relevance over the last few decades.
On World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5th, the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation, through Pordata, systematizes data that allow for an environmental portrait of Portugal and the European Union.
According to the same source, Portugal the country in the European Union with the third lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita. In 2024, it recorded 4.8 tons of CO2 per capita, only above Malta (3.8 tons) and Sweden (4.5 tons).
Nevertheless, between 1990 and 2024, the largest reductions occurred in Estonia, Luxembourg, and Denmark. Despite the decrease observed over the last few decades, Luxembourg continues to have the highest per capita emissions in the European Union, with 11.1 tons of CO2 per inhabitant.
Transport continues to be the main contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Portugal. In 2024, this sector accounted for 34.4% of total national emissions, the fourth highest value in the EU, nine percentage points above the European average. Only Luxembourg (52%), Slovenia (36%) and Lithuania (34%) recorded higher values. Approximately 20% of national emissions are associated with the combustion of gasoline and diesel fuel in the Portuguese vehicle fleet.
The evolution of the car fleet helps to explain this weight of transport. In 2024, Portugal had 6,135,517 registered light passenger vehicles, equivalent to 574 cars per thousand inhabitants, or about one car for every two people. In 1990, there were 185.2 cars per thousand inhabitants, equivalent to one car for every five people.
Between 1990 and 2024, Portugal was among the 11 European countries that more than tripled the number of registered cars. Romania led this growth, with an eightfold increase. In the European context, Italy has the highest ratio of cars per inhabitant, with 701 vehicles per thousand residents, followed by Luxembourg and Finland. Latvia is at the opposite extreme, with 422 cars per thousand inhabitants.
At the same time, electric vehicles have gained prominence. In 2024, more than 40,000 new electric cars were sold in Portugal, representing 20% of all new registrations. This figure exceeds the European average of 13.5% and is more than double that recorded in 2022. Denmark leads in the adoption of this type of vehicle, with more than half of new cars being fully electric, while in Croatia its share remains below 2%.
In terms of energy consumption, Portugal maintains a higher dependence on petroleum products than the European average. In 2024, these represented 42.9% of final energy consumption, compared to a Community average of 37.3%, placing the country ninth among Member States with the highest reliance on these fuels. Transport absorbs 80% of this consumption, a proportion slightly higher than the European average of 78%.
Renewable energies accounted for 19.5% of final energy consumption in Portugal, placing the country sixth in the EU and above the European average of 12.3%. Contrary to the European pattern, where households are responsible for 48.2% of renewable energy consumption, in Portugal it is industry that leads this consumption, with 37.3%, followed by households, with 33.7%.
Photo Source: SAPO.PT
