1/7/2005
European greenhouse gas emissions increased in 2003, says EEA report

Europe’s chances of meeting the targets set by the Kyoto Protocol – namely reducing its climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions by 8 % between 1990 and 2008-2012 – seem more remote than ever, according to statistics published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Indeed, emissions from the European Union have increased by 53 million tonnes (1.3 %), those of the total EU-25 inbcreased by 1.5 %. The reports names cold weather as one of the main reasons for such an evolution, adding that it resulted in an increase of power production using coal, thus accelerating gas emissions.

Italy is at the lead of this movement (14.4 million tonnes more than 2002), followed by Finland (8.3 million tonnes) and the UK (7.4 million tonnes). According to the EEA, Italian emissions increased mainly from households and services and from manufacturing industries, in particular in iron and steel and cement production. The increase in emission in Finland was driven by a 27 % increase of carbon from electricity and heat production. This was mainly due to a 45 % increase of coal and peat combustion in thermal power plants. In the UK, emissions from public electricity and heat production increased by 10 million tonnes due to a strong increase of coal consumption in thermal power stations. In addition, emissions from manufacturing industries increased by 4.5 million tonnes. Only Ireland and Portugal have decreased their emissions, by 1.8 and 4.5 million tonnes respectively.

In a note of warning, Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for Environment, said: “These figures are disappointing and further reinforce the need for Member States to fully implement all the emission-reduction actions agreed at EU level as well as their own national measures.” He continued by recalling that several major initiatives, including the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, were not yet in place in 2003, and therefore expressed his confidence that the EU will achieve its Kyoto targets once these kick in fully. He added that member states will shortly be submitting new projections that take account of these policies and measures. These will be analysed by the Commission over the coming months.

Since 1990, the base year of the Kyoto Protocol, greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 1.7 %, a petty result compared to the 8 % target for 2008-2012 and the projections of future emissions published last December, which indicated that the EU-15 could achieve emissions reduction of just over 8% by 2010 by fully implementing existing and planned measures and by obtaining emission credits through the Kyoto Protocol’s project-based mechanisms. Such bad results for 2003 can be explained by the failure in some of the EU-15 member countries to reduce their emissions in the 1990-2003 period, with Spain being plagued by an aggravating +40.6 %, as well as Austria and Denmark drifting further away from their respective Kyoto targets of –13% and –21 % (the evolution between 1990 and 2003 shows an increase by 16.6 % for Austria and 6.3 % for Denmark instead). Pressure is therefore being put by the environmental organisations on Tony Blair and the whole G8 community about to meet in Gleneagles.

The Commission’s European Climate Change Programme, which brings together key stakeholders, has identified 42 EU-level measures to help the EU reach its Kyoto targets in cost-effective ways. Most of these measures are now in place, but this was not yet the case in 2003 for several important initiatives. For instance, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme was launched only on 1 January this year, and directives on the taxation of energy products and the promotion of biofuels in transport also become effective only this year. Some proposals, for example for controlling emissions of fluorinated greenhouse gases used in air conditioning, are still awaiting adoption by Council and the European Parliament.

Various climate action scenarios analysed by EEA would see EU greenhouse gas emissions reduced by 40% by 2030. More than half of these reductions would be based on achievable technologies within Europe while the remaining reductions would be achieved by international emission trading abroad in an effective global emission trading market. The EEA report underlines that an alternative energy system, with energy-related domestic CO2 emissions in 2030 that are 11% below 1990, is within reach if the EU. More than half of the reductions required in the EU would be based on achievable technologies inside Europe, meaning more efficient electricity and heat generation and use of energy in households, industry, services/agriculture and transport, a switch to low-carbon fuels and increases in renewable energy mainly from wind and biomass. The remaining reductions would be achieved by international emissions trading involving the rest of the world.

Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA said that "climate change is at the top of the international agenda and many people are now aware of the Kyoto Protocol. But the Protocol is only a first step and the discussions have started as to what we do after 2012 to ensure that we do not exceed the two-degree limit. In Europe we know that we cannot do it alone, but our political leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to global leadership on this issue and the Agency has now mapped out possible pathways to delivering on this political commitment.”

Anthony Pouliquen