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The National Inventory of Air Pollutant Emissions 1990-2023, published by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge at the end of last year, reveals how NH₃ emissions in 2023 decreased by -0.8% at the national level compared to the previous year, mainly as a result of the reduction of emissions in livestock activities since 97.6% of NH3 emissions were generated by agricultural and livestock activities.
In the following graphs, we observe the weight of agriculture in the emissions of the five basic pollutants covered by the Gothenburg Protocol and the National Emission Ceilings Directive: sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH₃), and particulate matter below 2.5 μm (PM₂ˌ₅), as well as the percentage that manure management, agricultural soils, and field burning of agricultural residues represent in the total emissions.
National emissions of air pollutants in 2023 by activity and pollutant (in kilotonnes). Source: 333 based on MITECO data.
Percentage share of total emissions from manure management, agricultural soils, and field burning of agricultural residues. Source: 333 based on MITECO data.
The evolution over time of the emissions of these five atmospheric pollutants from 1990 to 2023 is presented below. Notable decreases in emissions of the main atmospheric pollutants can be seen throughout the series, except in the case of ammonia (NH₃).
Relative evolution of NOx, NMVOC, SO₂, NH₃ and PM₂ˌ₅ emissions using the first year of the series as a reference (1990 for the former and 2000 for PM₂ˌ₅). Source: MITECO.
NH₃ emissions have remained relatively stable throughout the series. These emissions, mainly dominated by agricultural and livestock activities, reached their highest levels in the first half of the 2000s (increasing up to 15.2% in 2000 compared to 1990). Subsequently, emissions decreased as a result of the introduction of emission control techniques in the application of fertilizers in the field and improvements in animal feed and manure management techniques, bringing emissions in 2023 down 18.8% from their 1990 levels.
The following graph shows the relative levels of compliance in 2023 of emissions with respect to the emission reduction commitments set for the period 2020-2029 in Directive (EU) 2016/2284. Of the five pollutants with emission reduction targets, all pollutants in 2023 complied with the reduction commitment set for Spain.
Evolution of emissions (%) with respect to 2005, and reduction commitment set by Directive 2016/2284. Source: MITECO.
March 3, 2025/ National Inventory of Atmospheric Emissions-MITECO/ Spain.
https://www.miteco.gob.es
