Cuts in EU greenhouse gas emissions have almost reached the 20 percent target set for 2020, official figures showed on Wednesday, stoking a debate on how quickly the bloc should promise deeper cuts.
The European Environment Agency (EEA), a scientific body set up to inform EU policymakers, said emissions in 2012 were around 18 percent lower than in 1990.
The figures also showed that the 15 EU member states bound by the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period which ended in December 2012 achieved cuts of 12.2 percent compared with an 8 percent target.
An agreement is expected at a U.N. summit in Paris in 2015 on a successor to the first global pact on climate change.
The EU Commission is expected to publish proposals on 2030 energy and environment targets around the end of the year, which EU sources have said will include a 40 percent emissions-cutting goal and a 30 percent renewable energy target.
Wednesday’s data showed that the EU is also on track to meet a separate 2020 target to increase the share of energy from renewable sources to 20 percent.
Green energy accounted for 13 percent of consumption by 2011. The EEA predicts the bloc should achieve its target by 2020.
Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately without the major global polluters - USA, China, India and a few others taking the reduction of emission goals serious the European efforts won't do too much good.
Read more: EU close to meeting 2020 emissions goal already - official data | News | Eco-Business - Asia's Cleantech & Sustainable Business Community
The European Environment Agency (EEA), a scientific body set up to inform EU policymakers, said emissions in 2012 were around 18 percent lower than in 1990.
The figures also showed that the 15 EU member states bound by the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period which ended in December 2012 achieved cuts of 12.2 percent compared with an 8 percent target.
An agreement is expected at a U.N. summit in Paris in 2015 on a successor to the first global pact on climate change.
The EU Commission is expected to publish proposals on 2030 energy and environment targets around the end of the year, which EU sources have said will include a 40 percent emissions-cutting goal and a 30 percent renewable energy target.
Wednesday’s data showed that the EU is also on track to meet a separate 2020 target to increase the share of energy from renewable sources to 20 percent.
Green energy accounted for 13 percent of consumption by 2011. The EEA predicts the bloc should achieve its target by 2020.
Note EU-Digest: Unfortunately without the major global polluters - USA, China, India and a few others taking the reduction of emission goals serious the European efforts won't do too much good.
Read more: EU close to meeting 2020 emissions goal already - official data | News | Eco-Business - Asia's Cleantech & Sustainable Business Community
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