C24 -- National European GHG Emissions Factors for Electricity Generation

Given the emphasis on the electrification of buildings for decarbonizing the buildings sector by 2050 in the European Union (EU) there is a need to derive simple to use correlations for forward looking emission factors. This practical information can then be used for a first assessment of future emissions in energy and climate plans, along with simple life cycle assessments. This work reviews the greenhouse gas emissions allocated to electricity generation in the EU Member States. Historical data are used to derive best fit linear correlations. These trajectories can be used to project future emissions from building stock models and assess decarbonization scenarios. The EU-27 averages 0.2883 kgCO₂-eq/kWh_e (0.6356 lbCO₂-eq/kWh_e) with significant variations among the EU-27 Member States ranging from as low as 0.0456 kgCO₂-eq/kWh_e (0.1005 lbCO₂-eq/kWh_e) in Sweden, up to 1.0595 kgCO₂-eq/kWh_e (2.3358 lbCO₂-eq/kWh_e) in Poland. From the available historic data, the best performers with the highest rates of decarbonization in electricity production over the past three decades were recorded in Lithuania (86.3% decrease), Estonia (83.3%), Portugal (77.7%), Denmark (76.9%) and Spain (73.8%).