Nitrogen oxide emissions (i58)
- 31/10/2025
- objective
- assessment
In 2023, nitrogen oxide emissions amounted to 123.3 thousand tonnes of nitrogen dioxide in Belgium. To achieve the sustainable development goal by 2030, this figure must decrease by 59% between 2005 and 2030. This objective will be reached by continuing the trend since 2000 (data available in November 2025). The nitrogen oxide emissions are therefore developing favourably.
Nitrogen oxide emissions - Belgium - trend assessment
thousand tonnes NO2
| 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2025 | 2030 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| observations | 363.0 | 332.1 | 253.3 | 203.0 | 142.0 | 131.6 | 123.3 | -- | -- |
| trend and extrapolation (November 2025) | 374.1 | 318.1 | 253.6 | 197.1 | 149.5 | 133.0 | 125.4 | 113.4 | 95.3 |
| objective 2030 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 | 134.8 |
Source: IRCEL/CELINE (2025), Belgian submission to the convention LRTAP - March 15, 2025, http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/be/un/clrtap (consulted on 19/09/2025); FPB calculations.
Nitrogen oxide emissions - Belgium
thousand tonnes NO2
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023//1990 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 429.2 | 363.0 | 332.1 | 253.3 | 203.0 | 180.1 | 142.0 | 131.6 | 123.3 | -3.7 | -6.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: IRCEL/CELINE (2025), Belgian submission to the convention LRTAP - February 15, 2025, http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/be/un/clrtap (consulted on 19/09/2025).
Nitrogen oxide emissions - EU27
million tonnes NO2
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023//1990 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU27 | 15.1 | 11.5 | 10.8 | 8.6 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.1 | -3.3 | -5.2 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: EEA (2025), Air pollutant emissions data viewer (LRTAP Convention), https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/dashboards/air-pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-4 (consulted on 19/09/2025).
Nitrogen oxide emissions - Belgium and international comparison
kilograms NO2 per capita
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023//1990 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 43.1 | 35.4 | 31.7 | 23.3 | 18.0 | 15.8 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.5 | -4.2 | -7.1 |
| EU27 | 36.0 | 26.7 | 24.7 | 19.4 | 16.4 | 15.5 | 12.4 | 11.9 | 11.3 | -3.5 | -5.3 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: IRCEL/CELINE (2025), Belgian submission to the convention LRTAP - March 15, 2025, http://cdr.eionet.europa.eu/be/un/clrtap, EEA (2025), Air pollutant emissions data viewer (LRTAP Convention), https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/dashboards/air-pollutant-emissions-data-viewer-4 and on Eurostat (2025), Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at national level, Population on 1 January [demo_gind], https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 19/09/2025); calculations FPB.
Nitrogen oxide emissions by region - Belgium
kilograms NO2 per capita
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2017 | 2020 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023//1990 | 2023//2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | 11.7 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.5 | -4.5 | -9.7 |
| Flemish Region | 45.7 | 36.9 | 33.0 | 25.2 | 19.4 | 17.0 | 12.9 | 12.1 | 11.0 | -4.2 | -7.2 |
| Walloon Region | 48.0 | 40.2 | 36.1 | 25.2 | 19.9 | 17.6 | 14.4 | 12.9 | 12.3 | -4.0 | -6.6 |
| //: Average Growth Rates | |||||||||||
Source: Bruxelles environnement (2025), https://environnement.brussels/citoyen/outils-et-donnees/etat-des-lieux-de-lenvironnement/emissions-de-polluants (consulted on 19/09/2025); Vlaamse Milieumaatschappij (2025), https://www.vmm.be/data/internationale-rapporteringen (consulted on 19/09/2025); Service public de Wallonie (2025), https://awac.be/inventaires-demission/methodologies/ (consulted on 19/09/2025); Eurostat (2025), Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates at national level, Population on 1 January [demo_gind], https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat (consulted on 19/09/2025); calculations FPB.
Definition: Nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) measure the total NOx emissions on Belgian territory, expressed in kilotonnes of nitrogen dioxide (kt NO2). NOx is emitted mainly during the combustion of fossil fuels in engines, boilers and industrial processes. Data are compiled by the Interregional Environment Agency and are available on the website of the European Environment Agency.
To make a comparison between Belgium and the EU27, emissions are calculated in kilograms of emissions per capita.
The following breakdown is available for this indicator: region.
Goal: Nitrogen oxide emissions must decrease by 59% between 2005 and 2030.
The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 11.6: “By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.”
Following the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol in 2012 (UNECE, 2012), Directive (EU) 2016/2284 sets emission reduction targets for some atmospheric pollutants (Official Journal of the European Union, 17/12/2016). From 2020 onwards, Belgium's NOx emissions must be 41% lower than in 2005. From 2030 onwards, they must be 59% lower. Emissions related to agriculture (livestock manure and agricultural soil management, i.e. 12% of the total in 2022) are not covered by this Directive.
UN indicator: the selected indicator does not correspond to any monitoring indicator for the SDGs but is related to target 11.6., which requests to pay “special attention to air quality”.
Sources
-
Official Journal of the European Union: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/oj/direct-access.html?locale=nen
- UNECE (2012), 1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground -level Ozone to the Convention on Longrange Transboundary Air Pollution, as amended on 4 May 2012, http://www.unece.org/env/lrtap/multi_h1.html (consulted on 10/12/2025).
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