Austria reduced its greenhouse gas pollution last year, despite an increase in production, as the industrial economy reacted to the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine.

The latest figures published by the Environment Agency Austria reveal carbon dioxide emissions dropped by 6.4% - or 5 million tons – which is equivalent to the volume of pollution produced by around 12 natural gas plants. This is despite economic growth of just below 5%.

This is the first time the country’s construction, agricultural, industrial and transport sectors all managed to reduce pollution, Bloomberg reports.

“Emissions are now falling not just in forecasts but in reality,” according to a statement by the country’s climate and energy minister, Leonore Gewessler.

As it stands, members of the European Union are legally obliged to cut emissions by 2030 or face the potential of billions of Euros in fines, the report goes on to add. Indeed, Austria had vowed to reduce its emissions by almost half in comparison to levels from 2005. The reduction last year moved Austria 28% towards that objective.

The decline was led by the Austrian industry, registering a 7.2% fall in emissions, which is equivalent to over 2 million tons of carbon dioxide handled by the European Union’s emissions trading system.

The energy crisis in 2022, which created all-time high inflation, forced a large number of businesses to reduce their fuel consumption and become more efficient, the Bloomberg report goes on to say.