EU emissions slashed by quarter since 1990 says report

The EU’s contribution to global emissions is estimated to have decreased from 15% to 8%, according to a new report

Featured Video Play Icon

The European Union (EU) has cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 23.2 % between 1990 to 2018, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

In a report it estimates the EU’s contribution to global emissions has fallen from 15 % to 8 %. And the average emissions per EU citizen, decreased from 12.2 tonnes to 8.9 tonnes equivalent carbon dioxide.

Two-thirds of the 2018 emission reduction took place in the heat and power sector, where emissions from coal-burning decreased by almost 50 million tonnes.

The EEA analysis shows emissions have decreased in almost all economic sectors, especially in the  energy supply industry and the residential sector. Emissions from road transport remained stable in 2018, after four consecutive years of increases.

Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director, said: “The EEA data show that cutting greenhouse gas emissions does not need to harm the economy.

“To the contrary, Europe’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic calls for ambitious and sustainable investments that can rebuild our economy and contribute to a fair transition towards a climate-neutral Europe by 2050, thus creating the competitive jobs for the future. Strong mitigation to avoid the worst effects of climate change remains an absolute priority.”

Latest Podcast