EEA report questions Commission position on emission reduction figures

Increased use of renewables and the economic downturn have contributed to emission reductions, according to new European Environment Agency (EEA) figures. These show that EU greenhouse gas emissions continued their downward trend in 2008, and have also picked up pace. Emissions in the EU stood 11.3% below their 1990 levels, while the EU-15 achieved a reduction of 6.9% compared to Kyoto base-year levels.

A combination of high coal and carbon prices accompanied by a drop in natural gas prices in 2008 has also led to heat and electricity producers replacing more polluting coal by gas and, as a result, reducing their GHG emissions.

Aviation emissions will have to drop further from 2012 following the sector’s inclusion in the EU’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETSⁱ), and the European Commission is ready to propose the inclusion of shipping in the ETS if there no global agreement to cut its emissions by 2011.

The report can be found here:
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory-2010