In early 2021, CE Delft published ‘Analysis of the Zaanse Climate Accord 2.0: Status report of CO2 emissions in Zaanstad and the impact of initiatives and policy measures’. This status report included the greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalents in the year 2018 in the municipality of Zaanstad. In the meantime, the emission figures for 2019 are also known. In this study we present the CO2 emissions of the various sectors in Zaanstad in 2019. In addition, we provide insight into the CO2 emissions and renewable energy generation in the period 2010-2019 and explanations of notable changes therein.
In 2019, the total greenhouse gas emissions in the municipality of Zaanstad were 1.2 Mton CO2 equivalents. The industry sector was the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, followed by the built environment, traffic and transport, and finally agriculture, forestry, fisheries and nature. Emissions in Zaanstad decreased in 2019 compared to 2018. This is mainly due to a decrease in emissions from the built environment and industry sectors. In the period 2010-2019, it can be seen that total emissions peaked in 2015 and have been decreasing annually since then. This decrease is largely due to a sharp decline in emissions of the greenhouse gas HFC-125, which is used as a refrigerant and aerosol propellant, in the period 2015-2017. A large part of the total CO2 reduction can also be attributed to a reduction in the CO2 emission factor of the national electricity grid.
In Zaanstad, 695 GWh of electricity were consumed in 2019. Of this, 41 GWh is renewable electricity, generated by wind, sun and biogas produced at the sewage treatment plant. This is an increase of 20% compared to renewable generation in 2018.