Bosnia posts largest volume of CO2 emissions per capita in Western Balkans in 2014 - study

Bosnia had the largest volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita compared to the other non-EU countries of South East Europe and EU member Croatia in 2014, Bosnia-based think-tank SEE Change Net said on Tuesday.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina’s CO2 emissions per capita rose between 2010 and 2014, from 5.34 to 5.66 tonnes. This appears to be mainly the result of rising transport energy demand," SEE Change Net said in its South East Europe Energy Watchdog Report 2016. "This is alarming because EU emissions are declining while Bosnia-Herzegovina’s are growing. All other countries in the region except Albania exhibited declines in emissions per capita in this period,"

The report covers Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia

Bosnia generated 60.5% of its electricity from coal in 2014 compared to the EU's 26.3%. The country had less than 1% of electricity generated from wind and solar plants.

Serbia took the second place in terms of CO2 emissions per capita in the report with the volume reduced from 6.29 tonnes in 2010 to 5.35 tonnes in 2014.

"This may be related to lower coal generation due to flooding and high hydropower generation due to rainy weather," SEE Change Net said.

Kosovo came third by CO2 emissions per capita in the region with 4.06 tonnes in 2014. The country generated 97% of its electricity from coal that year. Of the countries in the report, Kosovo made the most progress in reducing transmission and distribution losses between 2010 and 2015, from 43.58% to 31.8%. Yet, this is still the highest ratio among the countries in the region.

Albania has by far the lowest CO2 emissions per capita in the region of 1.42 tonnes although they slightly increased between 2010 and 2014, according to the report.

In 2015, Albania was still 100% reliant on hydropower for electricity and had no wind or solar power generation.

Croatia was the wind power leader in the region, with 5.5% of electricity generated from wind in 2014, up from 0.99% in 2010. Croatia also had the lowest electricity transmission and distribution losses in the region, 10.04% in 2014.

"However, compared with EU-wide losses of 6.38%, Croatia can still do a lot better," SEE Change Net said.

Further information about CO2 emissions (in tonnes) by capita and by country follows:

Source: SEE Change Net

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