Greenhouse gas emissions in Europe have reached a minimum

Greenhouse gas emissions by the countries of the European Union have reached their lowest level since 1990, when the first figures were recorded.

This became known after the publication of regular statistics by EU members. According to the latest data, greenhouse gas emissions in Europe fell by 23% between 1990 and 2014. On October 20, EU representatives held a final meeting in Bonn, Germany, ahead of the 190-country UN conference in Paris, which will begin on November 30 and will be dedicated to discussing climate change. The countries of Eastern Europe achieved the highest results in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For example, Romania's emissions have fallen by 56% since 1990, and Lithuania's by almost 60%. Such statistics are associated with the departure of these countries from heavy industry in the post-Soviet era.

At this stage, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has agreed on a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by EU countries up to 24% by 2020 and 27% by 2030. However, everything is not as rosy as it was planned just a year ago: in October 2014, European leaders agreed to reduce emissions by 40% by 2030, as well as to increase the use of renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency up to 27% by 2020. However, not all countries were ready to support such plans even then - for example, EU leaders were forced to make special concessions to Poland, whose dependence on coal energy could interfere with general plans.

Amount (percentage) of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe from 1990 to 2012

In general, according to EEA director Hans Bruyninckx, in order for EU countries to achieve the goals set for 2030 or 2050, "a fundamental change is required in the processes of production and use of energy in Europe." As of today, already 8 countries (including the UK, Ireland and Spain) are behind their 2020 renewable energy targets. The same number of countries are lagging behind in terms of increasing energy efficiency: Germany, France and the Netherlands are mentioned among the “guilty” here.

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