Prague cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 30% since 2010

Total carbon dioxide emissions in Prague fell by around 30% between 2010 and 2024. Jana Komrsková (Pirates), Prague's deputy mayor, told journalists this after today's meeting of Prague city councillors. The decline was driven primarily by lower emissions from energy and stationary sources, while emissions from transport have proved harder to reduce and have instead risen slightly in recent years. In 2021, the city approved its so-called climate plan, under which it aims to cut emissions by 45% by 2030 compared with 2010.

According to a monitoring report on implementation of the climate plan, total carbon dioxide emissions fell from 8.85 million tonnes to 6.22 million tonnes between 2010 and 2024, a decrease of 29.7%. "This is despite the population rising from 1.26 million to around 1.40 million over the same period," the document states.

The largest contribution to the overall fall in emissions came from lower emissions from energy and stationary sources, such as heat and electricity generation and fuel combustion in buildings. By contrast, transport emissions have only been reduced to a limited extent and have even risen slightly in recent years, particularly in private car transport. In 2024, emissions from private transport were 0.4% higher than in 2010.

According to the monitoring report, the city's energy intensity and carbon footprint have been on a long-term downward trend. The years 2023 and 2024 confirmed a return to a declining emissions trajectory after a temporary increase in 2022 caused by the economic recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under Prague's climate commitment, the city should reduce its carbon footprint related to energy needs by at least 45% by 2030 compared with 2010 and achieve so-called climate neutrality by 2050. In practice, this means bringing emissions down to around 4.8 million tonnes and gradually reducing them further to almost zero.