The European Commission, based on a status report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), has urged EU member states to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emission in a statement that took place on 14 June, in Brussels.
Commissioner Stravos Dimas has welcomed the EEA’s report which concludes that the European Union’s greenhouse gas emission fell by 0.7% in 2005. However, Mr. Dimas has underlined that member states need to improve their efforts to limit emissions significantly in order to meet the Kyoto target with which the EU-15 is committed.
The report
The EU’s annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, carried out by EEA, shows for the 2005 year the followings results:
-EU-15 member states: 0.8% drop from 2004 levels
-EU-27 member states: 0.7% drop from 2004 levels
-EU-15 members: 2.0% decrease in 2005 compared to the base year under the Kyoto Protocol
-EU- 27 member states: 1.8% increase in Gross Domestic Production in 2005
-Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Romania contributed most to the 2005 decrease in absolute terms
-Poland saw the biggest emissions increase in absolute terms among the EU-12 member states
-The decrease in 2005 EU-15 emissions was due mainly to lower CO2 emissions from public electricity and heat production, households and services, and road transport
The European Union submits each year a report about this issue to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC). This organisation oversees the 1997 international Kyoto Protocol in which the EU agreed to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 8 % below 1990 levels by 2012.
Related EPHA articles:
–EU Commission launches Green Paper on Climate Change
–The Kyoto protocol becomes EU law
For further information:
–Climate Change Midday Express Press Release 14 June 2007
–European Environment Agency (EEA) Press Release 15 June 2007
–EEA report on greenhouse gas inventory 1990-2005 (Publish date: 14 June 2007)
–European Commission Climate Change Website
–European Commission Environment Website