Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/NC/19
15 May 1996
Original: ENGLISH
In accordance with decision 9/2 of the Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee of the Framework Convention on Climate Change
(INC/FCCC) and endorsed by the Conference of the Parties in its
decision 3/CP.1 (FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1), the secretariat is to make
available, in the official languages of the United Nations, the
executive summaries of the national communications submitted by Annex
I Parties.
Note: Executive summaries of national communications issued
prior to the first session of the Conference of the Parties bear the
symbol A/AC.237/NC/___.
GE.96-
|
International Affairs Division. Vonarstraeti 4 IS-150 Reykjavik Iceland Fax No. (354) 624 566 |
This document has been reproduced without formal editing.
Basic data and national
circumstances
1. Iceland is the second largest island in Europe, 103,000
km2 in area. The land lies in the North Atlantic astride
the mid-Atlantic ridge, with its most northerly extremes bounding on
the Arctic Circle. Warm and cold ocean and atmospheric currents
intersect off the coast and the biosphere is extremely sensitive to
any change in the climatic and current systems of the earth. Iceland
is a volcanic country, with numerous active volcanoes and extensive
geothermal resources.
2. Some 263 thousand people live in Iceland. The settled areas are
primarily along the coast, and is concentrated especially in the
capital, Reykjavik, and the vicinity, where about 57 per cent of the
nation lives. Outside of this area settlement is sparse, with less
than one inhabitant per square kilometre, and most of them living in
small communities around the coast of the country. Good
transportation and communications are thus extremely important for
the rural areas, and the volume of transport, especially road
transport, is very substantial in relation to the size of the
country's population.
3. Approximately two-thirds of Iceland is almost or completely
devoid of vegetation. Glaciers cover some 11 per cent of the country,
and rivers and lakes another 2.2 per cent. There are just over 28
thousand km2, or about 27 per cent of the land area, of
very or fairly well established vegetation, about one-third of which
is wetland. About 25 thousand km2 are considered to be
arable land, some 1400 km2 of which were under cultivation
in 1990.
4. The climate in Iceland is a cold temperate oceanic climate,
with relatively mild winters (mean temperatures -2 to OC) and cool
summers (mean temperatures 8 to 10C). The weather is constantly
changing and precipitation high, but due to the effects of the warm
ocean currents (the Gulf Stream), the mean temperature is
considerably higher than in most other locations sharing the same
latitude.
5. There are few natural resources in Iceland, the main ones being
the bounteous fishing banks and great hydroelectric and geothermal
energy potential, together with the unique natural surroundings.
According to estimates Icelandic rivers could feasibly be developed
to produce 30 TWh of electricity annually, only one-seventh of which
has at present been developed. Estimates have placed the geothermal
energy potential which could be feasibly developed at around 200 TWh
annually for one hundred years, only 1 per cent of which has at
present been developed.
6. Fisheries, encompassing both catching and processing, is the
main understay of the national economy, accounting for 15 per cent of
GDP and 75 per cent of the nation's goods exports. Agriculture
represents only 3 per cent of GDP, but produces sufficient meat and
dairy products to satisfy domestic demand and is thus very important.
Other significant primary sectors include energy production (of
hydroelectric and geothermal energy), industry and
tourism.
7. Per capita energy consumption in Iceland is among the highest
in the world. The total domestic energy consumption in 1993 was
approx. 89 PJ, which corresponds to the equivalent of roughly 2119
thousand barrels of oil. About 65 per cent of the energy consumed by
Icelanders comes from renewable energy sources (hydroelectric and
geothermal energy) which cause little or no emissions of greenhouse
gases, while the comparable figure for other OECD countries is 2 to 3
per cent.
8. From 1970 to 1987, very substantial efforts were made in
Iceland to establish geothermal heating distribution centres
throughout the country, to utilise geothermal resources and reduce
oil consumption for domestic heating purposes. Hydroelectric
transmission was also extended to reduce oil-fuelled electricity
production. This resulted in a reduction in the emission of carbon
dioxide (CO2) from stationary energy production in Iceland
from 590 thousand tons in 1973 to only 145 thousand tons in 1990,
despite a considerable increase in total energy consumption during
the same period. This dramatic reduction in emissions, 445 thousand
tons, is the equivalent of 20 per cent of the total emissions in the
country in 1990 (see figure 2.8.1 of the full communication). It is
evident that by 1987 the reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide
from stationary energy production had been so extensive that it will
not be possible to achieve further substantial progress in this area
before the end of this century.
9. The high proportion of domestic energy already provided by
renewable energy supplies is not the only factor which makes it
difficult for Iceland to reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases
below present levels. The unusually high proportion of mobile sources
(automobiles, fishing vessels, domestic aircraft and coastal
transport vessels), the emissions of which are difficult to reduce,
also presents special difficulties for Iceland with regard to
complying with the obligations of the Framework Convention on Climate
Change. These sources cause approximately 64 per cent of the total
emissions of carbon dioxide in the country, a proportion much higher
than in other developed countries.
10. Another problem is that industrial processes (heavy industry)
create relatively high emissions, about 18 per cent of total
emissions of carbon dioxide, due especially to the oxidation of
carbon and carbon electrodes in ferrosilicon and aluminium
production. The only possibility of reducing these emissions is to
reduce production, which was relatively low in 1990.
Emissions of greenhouse gases
11. Estimates were made of emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse
gases in Iceland in 1990 in accordance with draft guidelines from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
12. Total anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide in Iceland in
1990 were some 2172 thousand tons. Of these 64 per cent were produced
by fishing vessels and transport and 18 per cent from industrial
processes. The remaining 18 per cent was the result of fuel
consumption by industry and for heating purposes, from geothermal
energy production, etc.
13. Total emissions of methane in 1990 were estimated to be some
23 thousand tons. In 1990 the main sources were refuse dumps,
producing some 11 thousand tons, domestic animals and animal
fertiliser, which produced approximately 11 900 tons. Other sources
produced a total of about 0.2 thousand tons.
14. Total emissions of nitrous oxide in 1990 were estimated to be
some 0.6 thousand tons. The main source was the use of nitrogen
fertiliser which accounted for 0.5 thousand tons or 80 per cent of
the total. Another prime source was fuel consumption, which
contributed about 0. 1 thousand tons.
15. An appreciable quantity of volatile fluorocarbons, estimated
at around 45 thousand tons, is thought to have been emitted from the
aluminium plant in Straumsvik, the only aluminium smelter in Iceland,
although the estimate is subject to a high degree of
uncertainty.
16. If emissions of greenhouse gases in Iceland in 1990 are
converted to carbon dioxide equivalents in accordance with methods
used by IPCC (based on Global Warming Potential (GWP) 100) the
relative importance of the various greenhouse gases can be seen. This
is shown in figure IIa of the full communication.
Policies and measures
17. The policies and measures involved in Iceland's action
programme are divided into two main areas. On the one hand are
general and economic measures which are directed at the general
public and the main industrial sectors, and on the other hand
specific measures, which apply to individual sectors or services in
the society.
General and economic measures
18. The national government has decided to emphasise incentive
measures, public education and economic measures to limit emissions
of greenhouse gases in Iceland. It will seek the cooperation of local
authorities, private enterprises, schools and institutions to this
end. In addition, the government intends to review the taxation of
fuel, linking it more closely to emissions of carbon dioxide in order
to have a limiting effect on them. A special CO2 tax will
be considered for this purpose. Taxation of motor vehicles will also
be reviewed in order to further encourage purchase of more economical
vehicles instead of vehicles with high fuel consumption.
19. Special rules will be adopted to limit the use of
fluorocarbons and other potent and persistent greenhouse gases, as
far as possible. The Icelandic government intends to strengthen
research and monitoring of greenhouse effects in Iceland to increase
knowledge and to reduce the detrimental effects of the changes
expected. The main areas of research to be emphasised by the national
government are: marine research, meteorological research, monitoring
of the atmosphere, investigation of the effects of a rise in sea
level, and research in the areas of land reclamation and
afforestation. The national government also aims at substantially
increasing its contribution to developmental aid in the final years
of this century, so that this contribution will amount to at least
0.3 - 0.4 per cent of GNP by the year 2000. Emphasis will be placed
on specialised aid in the area of geothermal development and the
reclamation of desertified areas, in addition to projects in the area
of fisheries.
20. The Minister of the Environment will appoint a special
"ministerial steering committee", in consultation with other
Ministers concerned, to direct the implementation of the action
programme of the Framework Convention as described in this status
report. In addition, calculations of emissions will be reviewed
annually and an assessment made as to whether further measures are
needed to comply with the Framework Convention.
Specific measures
21. The principal objective of the national government is the
limitation of emissions from each economic sector so that wherever
possible these will amount to no more in the year 2000 than they were
in 1990. Specific measures fall into the following main categories:
emissions from fishing vessels, emissions from domestic
transportation, emissions from industry, emissions from waste
disposal, emissions from agriculture, emissions resulting from the
erosion of soil and ground cover, and the sequestration of carbon
dioxide as the result of land reclamation and
afforestation.
22. Actions concerning emissions from fishing vessels can be
roughly divided into three types:
(a) A special working group will be appointed by the Ministry of
Industry to prepare a plan to attain the stated objective of reducing
emissions of greenhouse gases from the fishing fleet.
(b) The Ministry of Fisheries will promote measures to encourage
energy conservation by the fishing fleet in as many respects as
possible, for example, through the use of efficiency encouraging
measures.
(c) Measures will be introduced to provide for the use of sources
of electrical energy ashore by ships in harbour.
23. Actions concerning emissions from domestic transportation can be divided
into five main categories:
(a) A working group will be appointed by the Ministry of Transport
and Communications, in particular to establish a basis for an overall
transport plan for the country having regard to environmental and
energy questions.
(b) Public transport will be effectively strengthened, in
co-operation with local authorities in Iceland.
(c) Provision for pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas will be
improved.
(d) Rules will be adopted requiring the vendors of new vehicles to
provide possible purchasers with standardised data on the fuel
consumption of new vehicles offered for sale.
(e) The Public Roads Administration will be assigned the task of
finding ways to reduce the use of solvents and reduce pollution
caused by organic solvents in road construction.
24. Three main actions are being considered concerning emissions
from, industry:
(a) A fuel and energy conservation campaign will be launched in
industrial enterprises.
(b) Efforts will be made to further encourage the use of
hydroelectric and geothermal energy instead of fossil
fuels.
(c) A special analysis will be made of ways to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases from industrial processes and from raw materials
used in industry.
25. In the area of waste treatment and disposal three main
measures will also be introduced to reduce emissions of greenhouse
gases:
(a) Concerted efforts will be made to reduce the volume of refuse
with the aim of reducing final waste disposal by 50 per cent by the
end of the century.
(b) Emissions of methane from the refuse grounds of the capital
area on Álfsnes will be investigated and ways sought to
utilise or eliminate the gas.
(c) Open-air combustion of waste will be terminated in Iceland by
January 1, 1996.
26. Measures in connection with agriculture, soil and ground cover
erosion, and land reclamation and afforestation can be divided into
four main areas:
(a) An overall land-use plan for the entire country will be
compiled, with emphasis placed on sustainable exploitation and the
preservation of vegetation.
(b) A special land reclamation programme will be prepared for the
entire country, with the aim of halting rapid erosion of soil and
ground cover by the end of the century and renew as much of the
country's vegetation as possible.
(c) A special afforestation programme will be drawn up to increase
afforestation work in Iceland. The aim of the programme will be to
plant at the end of this century at least four times the number of
trees annually as were planted in 1990, while reducing the density of
planting at the same time.
(d) A special project will be launched with the aim of increasing
the sequestration of carbon dioxide in biomass by at least 100
thousand tons annually before the end of this century.
Future prospects and assessment of
measures
27. Anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide are expected to
increase by roughly 5 per cent from 1990 to the year 2000, if no
measures were taken to counteract this development, which would
represent an increase of nearly 110 thousand tons. The policies and
measures of the Icelandic government for the Framework Convention are
intended to fully counteract this increase. Measures aim at reducing
emissions from fuels by 35 thousand tons, reducing emissions from
industry by 50 thousand tons with the electrifying of boilers and
other measures in industry. In addition, measures in the
transportation sector aim at reducing emissions by some 15 thousand
tons, and reducing emissions from fishing vessels by around 10
thousand tons. This would provide a total reduction of 110 thousand
tons. In addition, extensive measures are proposed in land
reclamation and afforestation, which it is hoped will result in an
increase of around 100 thousand tons of carbon dioxide absorption in
biomass annually.
28. As far as emissions of methane are concerned, they are
expected to decrease during the remaining years of the century due to
measures to reduce the numbers of domestic animals and less refuse
disposed of as landfill. Emissions of nitrous oxide should not
increase during the remaining years of the century. Emissions of
fluorocarbons decreased considerably from 1990 to 1993, and no
further significant change is expected in emissions during the
remaining years of the century. When emissions of all greenhouse
gases in Iceland are converted to carbon dioxide equivalents it is
clear that total emissions of greenhouse gases in Iceland will
decrease considerably from 1990 to the end of the century. This can
be seen in figure III.a of the full communication.
Vulnerability and adaptation
29. A great deal of uncertainty surrounds the climate changes
which may be expected in Iceland in the wake of increasing greenhouse
effects. The country is located at the junction of cold and warm air
and ocean currents, and possible changes to the current systems and
the most common routes of low pressure systems, together with an
overall warming, due to the greenhouse effect could thus have very
decisive effects. At present it appears most likely that there will
be some, even fairly considerable, warming of the country in the next
century, which is expected to have in most respects positive effects
on the land itself, for agriculture, for instance, although the
effects on the nation's most important economic sector, that is,
fisheries, is shrouded in uncertainty. The results of research on the
effects of warming on the country's hydroelectric energy production
in the coming decades indicates that warming should have a relatively
positive effect, especially due to the increasing melting of the
glaciers and flow of the glacial rivers.
30. If a rise in sea level occurs as the result of warming the
danger of flooding could increase in some locations in Iceland. This
is especially true of harbour areas and several villages which are
located close to an unprotected ocean front. It is also conceivable
that land erosion could increase due to increased ocean assault
following a rise in sea level, especially along the southern
coast.