This issue of the Economic and Social Indicators present for the first time, a set of Environment-Economic-Accounts, which cover mainly energy use and water efficiency by economic sectors.

Greenhouse gas (GHG)
In 2008, some 3,487 thousand tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), the major greenhouse gas, were emitted in the atmosphere while 223 thousand tonnes were removed by forest which act as “sinks”. Thus, the net emission worked out to 3,264 thousand tonnes compared to 3,226 thousand tonnes in 2007, i.e an increase of 1.2%.

The energy industries remained the main source of CO2 emission in the atmosphere in 2008. They contributed around 58% of the emissions from fuel combustion, with 2,032 thousand tonnes in 2008 compared to 2068 thousand tonnes in 2007(-1.7%). They were followed by the transport sector which contributed 23% of the total emissions and the manufacturing industries with 13%.

Solid waste

In 2008, the total amount of solid waste landfilled at Mare Chicose rose to 400,813 tonnes from 394,118 tonnes in 2007 (+1.7%).

Complaints and Contraventions

The number of complaints received by the Pollution Prevention and Control Division of the Ministry of Environment and National Development Unit increased by 4.9% from 568 in 2007 to 596 in 2008. The main causes of complaints in 2008 were noise (26%), odour (17%), waste water (14%) and air pollution (10%).

The number of contraventions issued by the Police de L’Environnement in 2008 was 8,922, 5.8% more than the figure of 8,432 in 2007. Most of the contraventions (8,246 or 92%) were for illegal littering.

In 2008 the Police de L’Environnement issued 6,782 notices to drivers of vehicles emitting black smoke as compared to 3,796 in 2007, an increase of 78.7%.

Environment-Economic Accounts (EEA)

10. The EEA enable the economic performance of sectors, in terms of their contribution to GDP, to be assessed against their use of energy and water, and their contribution to global warming in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
11. Energy Use Intensity Accounts shows that, in 2002, agriculture and fishing had a high contribution to GDP relative to its energy use, whereas chemicals and textile industries were relatively high intensity energy users.
12. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) efficiency accounts which indicate the level of the impact in terms of the emissions per unit of economic output, shows that agriculture and “other services” which includes waste and refuse collection, were relatively intensive in terms of greenhouse gas emissions relative to production due to nitrous oxide and methane emissions respectively.
13. Water use analysis for 2002 shows that agriculture was a relatively intensive user with a share of 54% of total water abstracted, followed by hydro-power use (26%), household use (7%), and manufacturing use (3%). Water losses accounted for around 10%.

August 2009