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European Community and Member States greenhouse gaz emission trends 1990-99
European Community and Member States greenhouse gaz emission trends 1990-99
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This report serves as input to the annual progress evaluation report of the European Commission to the Council and the European Parliament, as required under the EU monitoring mechanism (Decision 1999/296/EC). The report analyses whether the European Community (EC) has made progress in reducing emissions towards fulfilling its targets under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. EC greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) and industrial fluorinated gases) in 1999 were 2% below 1998 levels, and 4% below 1990 levels. This cut takes the EC half way towards achieving the Kyoto target of reducing its emissions of these gases to 8% below their 1990 level by the years 2008-12. Emissions of the main greenhouse gas (CO2), accounting for 81% of total emissions, decreased by 1.6% from 1990 to 1999. The EC remains on track to meet its commitment to stabilise emissions of CO2 at 1990's level by the year 2000. Despite these positive trends further major efforts to reduce emissions are needed to achieve the Kyoto targets. Total greenhouse gas emissions de-coupled from GDP growth and increase in energy use over the period 1990 to 1999, largely due to considerable emissions falls in Germany and the United Kingdom, the EC's two biggest emitters, together contributing around 40% of total EC greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions reductions - 18.7% in the case of Germany and 14.0% for the UK - are mainly the result of lower coal consumption due to a shift towards increased use of gas in power generation in both countries, the closure of industrial plants in eastern Germany following German unification, improvements in energy efficiency in Germany and N2O emission reduction measures in the chemical industry in the UK. On present trends, the following Member States are heading towards substantially exceeding their agreed share of the EC's total allowed emissions under the Kyoto Protocol (EC 'Burden sharing'): Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Detailed emissions data used in this reprot are available in the EEA technical report 'Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990-99, submission to UNFCCC' (No 60, May 2001).
- Published:
- Corporate author(s): European Environment Agency (EU body or agency)
- Personal author(s): Gugele, Bernd ; Ritter, Manfred ; Jol, André
- Themes: Environmental degradation , Environment policy and protection of the environment
- Subject: air quality , data collection , environmental monitoring , EU Member State , greenhouse gas
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| ISSN | ISBN 92-9167-405-2 | DOI | Catalogue number TH-40-01-270-EN-C |
- Released on EU Publications:
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