Natural gas is the least polluting fuel of the fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. During combustion natural gas emits 25-30% less CO2 than oil and 30-50% less CO2 than coal.
Apart from relatively low CO2 emission, the combustion of natural gas is very clean, and natural gas can pave the way for the spread of biogas, which is CO2 neutral.
The table below compares the different types of fossil fuel and their emission of CO2.
| Hard coal |
95.00 |
100 |
0 |
109 |
37,0 |
1,5 |
| Fuel oil |
78,00 |
82 |
17 |
109 |
308,0 |
3,0 |
| Natuaral gas (North Sea) |
56,78 |
60 |
40 |
97 |
0,3 |
2,0 |
| Bio fuels |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| Straw and wood |
0 |
0 |
100 |
69 |
1,7 |
3,3 |
*Fuel equivalents
- CO2 is carbon dioxide which impacts the environment globally as a greenhouse gas.
- NOx is nitrogen oxide which impacts the environment locally (acidification (acid rain)).
- SO2 is sulphur dioxide which impacts the environment locally (acidification (acid rain)).
- NWVOC is a common designation for volatile hydrocarbons and other organic substances and it forms local smog.