Current Situation

Emissions profile

Algeria heavily relies on fossil fuels and almost doubled its GHG emissions between 2000 and 2017, reaching around 229.6 MtCO₂e. The energy sector accounts for 84% of Algeria’s total emissions, with 58% of emissions coming from fuel combustion and 26% being fugitive emissions from the fossil fuel industry. Industrial processes, agriculture, and waste were responsible for 6%, 5%, and 5% of total emissions in 2017, respectively.

Graph description

Historical emissions per gas and per sector. LULUCF emissions are not available

Data References
- Historical emissions: PRIMAP-Hist 2021. Last inventory year: 2019.

Energy system

Algeria is a net exporter of energy, mostly fossil gas and crude oil. In 2019, the country exported 58% of the energy it produced.¹ Natural gas and crude oil are also the country’s main energy sources, with 98% sourced domestically and around 2% imported. The country’s electricity production relied almost 100% on fossil fuels in 2016, with a tiny fraction generated from hydropower.²
Algeria has enormous renewable energy resources5 and is among the countries with the highest wind energy potential in Africa.³ Renewable energy sources would provide a sustainable alternative to Algeria’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels.⁴

Targets and commitments

Economy-wide targets

Target type

Baseline scenario target

NDC target

Unconditional NDC Target:

7% below business as usual by 2030⁵
16–39% above 2015 levels by 2030, excluding LULUCF

Conditional NDC Target:

22% below business as usual by 2030⁶
3% below 2015 levels to 25% above 2015 excluding LULUCF

Long-term target

As of January 2023, Algeria does not have net zero target, nor has it submitted a long-term strategy to the UNFCCC.⁷^,⁸

Sectoral targets

Energy

Reducing by 9% the national consumption of energy by 2030 based on BAU.⁹
Reducing the volume of gas flaring to less than 1% by 2030 based on BAU.¹⁰

Power

27% of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.¹¹
37% of installed capacities from renewable energy sources.¹²
Installing 22,000 MW of renewable power capacity between 2011 and 2030, including 12,000 MW to meet national demand for electricity and 10,000 MW for export by 2030.¹³^,¹⁴^,¹⁵
Generalising high-performance lighting.¹⁶

Buildings

Implement thermal insulation of buildings between 2021 and 2030.¹⁷

Industry

Increasing the share of liquefied petroleum and natural gas in the consumption of fuels between 2021 and 2030.¹⁸

Waste

Energy recovery and recycling of methane from landfill sites and wastewater treatment plants.¹⁹

Transport

Replacing gasoline and diesel fuels by fuels based on liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas.²⁰
“Mainstreaming of the use of clean fuels in individual and collective transport, particularly in large urban cities.”²¹

LULUCF

Afforestation, reforestation, and prevention of forest fires as well as improving means to fight them.²²
Reforestation of 1,245,000 ha by 2030.²³

Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Bilan Energétique National 2019. (2020). ↩
Bouznit, M. P.-R. M. del P. S.-B. A. Measures to promote renewable energy for electricity generation in Algeria. Sustainability 12, (2020). ↩
IRENA. Estimating the Renewable Energy Potential in Africa. (2014). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme de développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique en Algérie. (2016). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
UNFCCC. Long-term strategies portal. (2022). ↩
Climate Watch. Algeria, National Context. (2022). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique. (2011). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique. (2011). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme de développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique en Algérie. (2016). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Plan National Climat (PNC) de l’Algérie. (2019). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme de développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique en Algérie. (2016). ↩
Ministère de l’Energie et des Mines [MEM]. Programme de développement des énergies renouvelables et de l’efficacité énergétique en Algérie. (2016). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩
Ministère de l’Aménagement du Territoire, de l’Environnement et du T. [MATET]. Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC-Algeria). (2015). ↩

What is Algeria's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?