What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions does Iceland produce?
Iceland produced 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 (the latest date with complete emissions data). This amounted to 2.77m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, or MtCO₂e. These emissions represented an increase from 2020 by 4.3%.
In the period from 1990 to 2021 their emissions have decreased by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -0.61% and Iceland has contributed 0.01% of global greenhouse emissions.
| Country | Iceland |
|---|---|
| Population | 372k | Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in USD | $25.5bn |
| Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2021 | 2.77m |
| Change in Emissions since 2020 | 4.3% |
| Percentage of Total Emissions (2021) | 0.01% |
| Rank – Emitters in 2021 | 159 |
| Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions since 1990 | 102m |
| Compound Annual Growth – Emissions since 1990 | -0.61% |
| Percentage of Total Emissions (1990-2021) | 0.01% | GDP Per Capita (USD) | $68.4k |
| Emissions Per Capita | 7.4 |
In 2021, Iceland was the world’s 159th largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. The largest emitters in the same period were China, the United States, India, Russia and Brazil.
When looking at emissions over time Iceland is the 157th largest emitter since 1990.
Emissions per capita in Iceland – average household carbon footprint
The population of Iceland is 372k. On a per capita basis, they produce 7.4 tonnes of CO2e per person, placing them 50th out of 191 on emissions produced per capita. The biggest per capita emitters are Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Turkmenistan.
What is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Iceland?
Gases
56.1% of emissions in Iceland came from Carbon Dioxide (CO2), 18.4% came from Methane (CH4), and 13.5% came from Nitrous Oxide (N2O).
Sectors
The sector that produced the most emissions in 2021 was the energy industry, producing 1.58m of GHG emissions, constituting 57.3% of total.
The second and third largest emitting sectors were agriculture and land-use change and forestry, producing 22.7% and 22.3% of total GHG in Iceland.
Energy
The industry that produced the most energy related emissions was the transportation industry, producing 900k of GHG emissions, constituting 32.6% of total emissions.
The second and third largest emitting sectors were other fuel combustion and manufacturing/construction, emitting 598k and 72.7k tonnes of GHG each.
Land Use Change and Forestry
Land use change and forestry (LUCF), such as deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural or urban areas, can have a significant impact on carbon emissions.
- Trees and other vegetation absorb and store carbon through the process of photosynthesis, and when they are cut down or burned, that stored carbon is released into the atmosphere.
- Deforestation and other forms of land use change can also reduce the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon in the future. Additionally, the conversion of land for agriculture or urban development can lead to the release of carbon stored in the soil.
- On the other hand, sustainable forestry practices, such as reforestation and afforestation, can help to remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in trees and other vegetation.
In the case of Iceland, LUCF had a negative impact on Iceland’s emissions, increasing their carbon footprint by 616k tonnes.
After accounting for land use change and forestry, the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions in Iceland in 2021 was 3.38m metric tonnes.
How vulnerable is Iceland to the impact of climate change?
The Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Index
The ND-GAIN Index measures countries’ vulnerability to global challenges, including climate change, and their readiness to improve resilience.
Iceland scores 70.6 on the ND-Gain Index and is classified in the
The index aims to assist businesses, governments, and communities in prioritising investments for a more efficient response to global shifts.
It is measured by combining two main components:
- Vulnerability: This evaluates a country’s vulnerability to environmental risks and its ability to adapt. It considers health, food and water availability, infrastructure, and ecosystem services. A higher score indicates greater vulnerability to environmental challenges.
- Readiness: This measures how well a country can leverage investments to mitigate climate change. It considers economic stability, governance, technology, and infrastructure. A higher score means a country is better prepared to implement resilience strategies.
This ranking helps identify areas where resources and adaptation strategies can be most effectively directed to mitigate risks and enhance resilience.
By combining these dimensions, the index provides a comprehensive approach to measuring countries’ ability to cope with the impacts of climate change.
Low vulnerability and high readiness in Iceland
In terms of readiness to adapt to climate change, Iceland ranks in the top 5% group. Globally, the average readiness score is 0.424, with Iceland posting a score of 0.721.
They show the greatest strength in governance aspects, while their performance in social aspects requires improvement.
- Governance readiness refers to the political, legal, and regulatory aspects influencing a country’s adaptation to climate change, including stability, corruption control, and law enforcement.
- Social readiness refers to the societal factors like inequality, education, and technology infrastructure that affect a country’s ability to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Regarding vulnerability to climate change, Iceland falls into the top 10% category. Compared to the global average vulnerability score of 0.431, Iceland has a score of 0.308.
Their resilience is most notable in health areas, yet they face significant challenges in habitat.
- Health vulnerability refers to the impact of climate change on diseases and medical resources. Innovations can enhance resilience to vulnerabilities affecting human health through food, water insecurity, and extreme weather events.
- Human habitat refers to the growth of cities and their capacity to withstand climate change impacts like floods and heatwaves. Improved infrastructure enhances urban resilience to extreme weather events.
The formula to calculate the ND-GAIN Index is
GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50GAIN Index=(Readiness Indicators−Vulnerability Indicators+1)×50
In this formula:
- The Readiness Indicators are measured on a scale of 0 to 1, where a higher score means that the readiness is better.
- The Vulnerability Indicators are also measured on a scale of 0 to 1, but a lower score indicates better vulnerability in this case.
- The difference between the Readiness and Vulnerability scores is calculated and then incremented by 1.
- Finally, the result is multiplied by 50 to convert the GAIN Index score to a range of 0-100, where a higher score means the situation is better.
Is there a correlation between greenhouse gas emissions and economic growth in Iceland?
In 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) in Iceland grew by 18.7% from the previous year, with the economy moving from $21.6bn to $25.6bn. During the same period, carbon emissions increased by 4.3%. Over the ten-year period from 2011 to 2021, GDP grew 68.2%, while emissions decreased by -9.2%.
To put this into context, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of GDP in Iceland over the past ten years was 5.3%, and the CAGR for greenhouse gas emissions was -0.96%.
In Iceland, carbon emissions calculations should include the environmental impact of whaling. Each whale stores approximately 33 tonnes of carbon, and since 2023, around 1,500 whales have been killed—resulting in the release or loss of nearly 50,000 tonnes of carbon. When factored into national emissions data, this could significantly raise Iceland’s per capita carbon footprint—potentially placing the country first out of 191 nations in emissions per person.