Industry NewsThe European Union (EU) is now over halfway to meeting its emission reduction targets for 2020, which could put pressure on member states to agree to a tougher obligations. The latest environmental report had been expected to show a cut due to the impact of the recession. However, officials have been keen to underline that reduced demand due to economic conditions is not the only reason for the cuts.
The European Environment Agency's latest report shows the fifth consecutive annual cut in greenhouse house gas emissions. The data, from 2008, is also significant given it covers the first year of the EUs commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. Under this agreement, the EU is obliged to cut its emissions by an average of 8.0 per cent by 2012. 2008 levels for the EU-15 were 6.9 per cent below baseline figures, down 1.9 per cent on the previous year. However, the EU has its own tougher 20 per cent reduction target for 2020, and the EU-27 as a whole recorded an 11.3 per cent reduction on baseline levels for 2008.
There has been a growing debate over the merits of increasing the EU target to 30 per cent, after recent reports suggested the incremental costs were lower than previously expected. The apparent 'ease' by which the EU is meeting the 20 per cent target adds to this debate. However, it is thought that any stronger reductions may be hard to enforce before a global agreement to replace Kyoto is reached. The next meeting towards a new Protocol is scheduled for the end of 2010.
Commenting on the latest EU results, European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, said, "With negotiations on a global climate agreement for the post-2012 era continuing, showing that Europe is able to deliver on our commitments under Kyoto is of paramount importance. The significant emission decreases we have achieved over the past five years clearly illustrate the value of binding targets." She added, "The 2008 reductions were not only due to the financial crisis but are also the result of the many ambitious policies that the EU and its Member States have implemented over the years, whose effects are becoming increasingly apparent."