Czechia's Sources of CH4 Emissions
Key Insights
Industrial Growth and Emissions Surge
The Industrial Revolution's expansion in the mid-19th century marked the beginning of significant methane emissions in Czechia, primarily from increased coal mining and usage. This period laid the groundwork for a steady rise in emissions, with the early 20th century seeing further industrial growth following the formation of Czechoslovakia. The focus on developing an industrial base led to increased energy demands and a corresponding rise in methane emissions, particularly from fuel combustion and fugitive emissions.
Communist Era and Heavy Industry
The post-World War II era, especially under the communist regime, saw a substantial increase in methane emissions due to the prioritization of heavy industry and coal as the primary energy source. This period was characterized by expanded mining operations and increased coal consumption, contributing to a significant rise in industrial output and methane emissions. The introduction of large-scale agriculture in the 1960s further added to emissions, with livestock and waste becoming notable contributors.
Economic Transition and Emission Reductions
The Velvet Revolution in 1989 and the subsequent economic transition led to a decline in heavy industry and coal usage, resulting in a reduction in methane emissions. The dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 and the formation of the Czech Republic marked a continued focus on modernizing the industrial base and reducing reliance on coal. This transition, coupled with EU accession in 2004 and the adoption of stricter environmental regulations, contributed to a measurable decrease in methane emissions.
Renewable Energy and Recent Trends
In recent years, Czechia's investment in renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, has further contributed to the reduction of methane emissions. The expansion of renewable energy infrastructure aimed to decrease reliance on coal and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 also led to a temporary reduction in emissions due to decreased industrial activity and energy consumption, highlighting the impact of economic slowdowns on emission levels.
Background
The chart shows a national breakdown by source of the yearly methane (CH4) emissions from human activities expressed as weight in megatonnes (Mt). In the scientific literature, these are referred to as anthropogenic emissions. Human-induced methane emissions increase atmospheric methane, which is warming the Earth. The sources of human methane emissions are
- Livestock
- Fugitive emissions from the fossil fuel industry
- Crop production
- Fossil fuel combustion
- Waste management
- Other processes
Methane's Global Warming Potential
Methane has a much higher Global Warming Potential (GWP) than CO2. However, the effect lasts only for a relatively brief period (9 years on average), compared to hundreds of years for CO2. A reduction in emissions can cause a rapid decline in its atmospheric levels and climate impact.
Livestock
Livestock emits methane that is produced in the animals' digestive system. Most methane is emitted from the mouth during rumination. A much smaller amount of methane is emitted from the manure. Depending on how the manure is managed, i.e., wet or dry, more methane is emitted. Wet management leads to higher methane emissions than dry management. However, dry management also emits nitrous oxide (N2O), which is another potent greenhouse gas.
Fugitive emissions from fossil fuel industry
Fugitive methane emissions are from the intentional and accidental release of methane, which happens during the extraction, storage, and transportation processes in the fossil fuel industry. Examples are methane leaks during oil and gas handling, storage, transport, incomplete combustion, and many more. Also, methane is deliberately ventilated from mines during the extraction of coal.
Methane is a primary part of “gas”, also called “natural gas” or “fossil gas”. Natural gas is used, for example, for heating and electricity generation, whereby it emits CO2 during the combustion process. However, when natural gas leaks (unburned) it contains a lot of fugitive methane emissions.
Waste
Waste from landfills and wastewater produces a lot of methane when biodegradable material breaks down without oxygen.
Crop production
Crop production emissions are largely from rice cultivation, which generates large amounts of methane during plant growth. These emissions are from flooded paddies, which create the swamp-like environment of rice fields. There are agricultural techniques to reduce emissions significantly, like periodic drainage and aeration. Rice is the main staple for about half the world's population, and its emissions are a significant part of total human methane emissions.
Fuel combustion
Fuel combustion emissions are mostly from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. As mentioned before, natural gas consists largely of methane, and when the combustion does not happen completely, methane enters the atmosphere.
Other
Other human-induced methane emissions include industrial processes and product uses.
Wikipedia: Anthropogenic Sources of Atmospheric MethaneIPCC: AR6, 5.2.2.2 Anthropogenic CH4 emissions
Units and Measures
CH4 emissions are expressed in the total weight in megatonnes per year. 1 Megatonne is equal to 1 million tonnes.
Wikipedia: MegatonneWikipedia: Global warming potential
About the Data
The last available year in all the emission datasets is 2023. Methane emissions come from the PRIMAP-Hist dataset. It is a rich dataset that combines several published sources to create a historical emissions time series for various greenhouse gases.
The Key Insights paragraph was generated using a large language model (LLM) using a structured approach to improve the accuracy. This included separating the context generation from the interpretation and narrative.
Data Sources
PRIMAP-hist The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2023)
Update cycle: Every few monthsDelay: Less than 1 yearCredits: Gütschow, Johannes; Busch, Daniel; Pflüger, Mika (2024): The PRIMAP-hist national historical emissions time series (1750-2023) v2.6. Zenodo.