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EU legislation has led to improvements in air quality, with the percentage of urban citizens exposed to pollutant levels above standards set to protect human health falling between 2000 and 2019. However, poor air quality remains a problem: in 2019, 21% of citizens were exposed to O 3 and 10% to PM 10 levels above EU standards. This is mainly because of emissions from transport and buildings, but also from agriculture and industry. Without radical changes to mobility, energy and food systems and industry, it is unlikely that air quality targets will be met in the near future.
This indicator shows the fraction of the EU-28 urban population that is potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations of six key pollutants (PM 2.5 , PM 10 , O 3 , NO 2 , SO 2 and BaP) that are in excess of the EU limit or target values (EU, 2004, 2008) set for the protection of human health, and to concentrations of these pollutants in excess of the 2005 WHO Guidelines (WHO, 2000, 2006). The indicator is based on measurements of air pollutants as reported under the Air Quality Directives (EU, 2004, 2008) and the Decisions on the exchange of information (EU, 1997, 2011).
Historical greenhouse gas emissions from the EU buildings sector show a decreasing trend since 2005. This is the result of the implementation of higher standards for new buildings, measures to increase energy efficiency in existing buildings (e.g. through changing of heating systems, thermal insulation and more efficient heating systems), measures to decarbonise the electricity sector but also warmer temperatures. These reductions were partly offset by the increase in dwellings and by a larger average floor area in buildings. The trend in reducing emissions is expected to continue in the future, but a very strong increase in the renovation rate is needed to meet the overall EU 2030 emissions target.
This indicator presents past and latest year estimates and projected emissions trends for energy used in the residential and commercial sector in the European Union. Historical data include emissions from the use of fossil fuel in buildings (also called direct emissions) and emissions from the use of electricity (also called indirect emissions); the latter come from the emissions resulting from the production of electricity subsequently used in buildings. Emissions from the construction, renovation or demolition of buildings are not covered by this indicator.
The indicator comprises historical and projected emissions estimates from the agriculture sector (CRF category 3), as well as historical emissions estimates from energy consumption in agriculture, forestry and fishing, expressed in million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO 2 e). Historical emissions are presented at subcategory level with some aggregation (see Methodology for details), whereas projected emissions with existing measures and with additional measures are presented at aggregate level for the agriculture sector (CRF sector 3 only; excludes energy consumption).
Through its land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities, the EU currently removes a net total of 249 Mt CO 2 e from the atmosphere every year, equivalent to 7% of its annual greenhouse gas emissions. The sector will play a crucial role in helping the EU achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Doing so will require reversing the current decreasing trend of the EU's carbon sink . According to national projections from EU Member States, current measures in place will not be sufficient to achieve this, with an average removal of 200 Mt CO 2 e per year in 2030. However, implementing the national measures currently at planning stage could increase the current EU carbon sink by 3%.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture sector are covered by national annual emission targets. Between 2005 and 2019, the EU’s agriculture emissions remained stable. Current national projections only foresee a modest decline of 2% by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, and a 5% reduction with the implementation of currently planned measures. This projected progress remains largely insufficient and highlights the need for further action if Member States are to reach their binding annual targets and the EU its climate neutrality goal by 2050.
The indicator comprises historical and projected emissions estimates from the LULUCF sector. Historical emissions are presented by main land use category, whereas projected emissions are presented at aggregate level.
This indicator shows final and primary energy consumption for the 27 Member States of the EU from 2005 to 2020, and their distance to target. Underlying disaggregated data on sectoral and fuel compositions were used in the assessment discussion. In simplified terms, FEC represents the energy used by final consumers for all energy uses. It is the energy that reaches the final consumer’s door. PEC represents the total energy demand within a country, excluding the energy products consumed for purposes other than producing useful energy (non-energy uses, e.g. oil for plastics). For example, the electricity consumed by a household counts towards FEC; the fuel burned to generate that electricity counts towards PEC.
The Covid-19 pandemic had a profound impact on energy consumption in the European Union. In 2020, the EU’s primary energy consumption (for all energy uses) experienced a historical drop following 2 years of moderate reductions. Final energy consumption (by end users) also saw a significant decrease, albeit less pronounced. This contributed to the EU meeting their 2020 energy efficiency targets for both primary and final energy consumption. A rebound must be avoided; and long-term reductions remain necessary to achieve the EU’s energy and climate objectives for 2030 and 2050.
With a 21.3% share of energy consumed from renewable sources in 2020, the EU has reached its headline target (20%) for 2020, according to EEA early estimates. This success builds upon years of consistent work by all Member States, even if national progress is uneven. The exceptional circumstances of 2020, marked by disruptions in all economic sectors due to the pandemic, have facilitated meeting the renewable energy target by lowering total energy consumption. An unprecedented transformation in the energy system will still be necessary to meet the 32% renewable energy target set for 2030.
This indicator measures the EU’s progress towards achieving its 2020 and 2030 renewable energy targets. Gross final renewable energy consumption is the amount of renewable energy consumed for electricity, heating and cooling, and transport in the 27 EU Member States using actual and normalised hydropower and wind power generation, and is expressed as a share of gross final energy consumption. The Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) defines gross final energy consumption as the energy commodities delivered for energy purposes to final consumers (industry, transport, households, services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries), including the consumption of electricity and heat by the energy branch for electricity and heat production, and including losses of electricity and heat in transmission and distribution. Figure 1 shows consumption of energy from renewable sources (including only certified biofuels complying with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) sustainability criteria) as a proportion of gross final energy consumption, the indicative RED trajectory towards the 2020 target, the indicative 2020 target and the 2030 target. It should be noted that the official 2020 targets refer to the EU-27 plus the United Kingdom and to individual Member States. The same target 20% target has been used for the EU-27 in this indicator. Figure 2 shows the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by country. It illustrates the progress made by the EU and its Member States with respect to their binding renewable energy targets for 2020 . For more information, please refer to the EEA's annual T rends and projections in Europe and Renewable energy in Europe reports.
In 2019, the EU was not on track to meet its target to reduce the greenhouse gas emission intensity of fuels sold for road transport to 6% below 2010 levels by 2020. Between 2010 and 2019, emission intensity decreased by 4.3%, mostly due to the increased use of biofuels. Finland and Sweden are the only Member States whose emission intensities decreased by more than 6%, with the Netherlands reporting a 5.8% reduction in 2019. If the indirect land use change (ILUC) effects of biofuel production are considered, the emission intensity of fuels sold in the EU also decreased between 2018 and 2019, due to the limited substitution of oil crops as feedstocks by sugars.
The share of energy from renewable sources used for transport in the EU increased from under 2% in 2005 to almost 9% in 2019. Preliminary EEA data indicate that in 2020, this increased further to 10.1%. This suggests that collectively the EU countries reached the 10% target for share of energy from renewable sources in all forms of transport. However, EEA preliminary estimates show that this target was actually achieved by less than half of EU Member States.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU decreased by 31% between 1990 and 2020 — exceeding the EU’s 2020 target by 11 percentage points. This overshoot was propelled by steep emission cuts in 2019 and 2020. While the cut in 2019 was strongly driven by fossil fuel price effects and policy measures, the decline in 2020 was additionally related to the Covid-19 pandemic. EU greenhouse gas emissions are expected to further decline until 2030. Member States have not yet realigned their ambitions to the new net 55% reduction target for 2030, and the further implementation of impactful policies and measures will be important to bring the new 2030 target within reach.
This indicator presents past and projected emissions trends in Europe and assesses the progress of the EU towards its international and internal GHG targets. The EU’s total GHG emissions are shown in the context of the EU’s overall climate targets and disaggregated trends are shown to illustrate the development of emissions covered by the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Effort Sharing Legislation, as well as those from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF). Emissions from international aviation are included in total GHG emissions and depicted separately, together with the disaggregated trends. In accordance with the UNFCCC Reporting Guidelines, total GHG emissions do not cover emissions from international shipping, net LULUCF emissions and/or removals, and CO 2 emissions from the combustion of biomass (including biofuels in transport). The indicator covers all 27 Member States of the European Union and the UK for historic emissions trends. Future emissions trends (from 2021 onwards) do not include the United Kingdom.
EU greenhouse gas emissions covered by national reduction targets decreased by 15% between 2005 and 2020, which is significantly more than the 10% reduction foreseen in the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). These reductions were largely driven by improvements in energy efficiency and the switch to less carbon intensive fuels, including renewable energy. Preliminary emissions data for 2020 show that 21 EU Member States are expected to be below their national emission targets for that year. Six Member States are expected to have emissions above their 2020 target levels, despite the effects of the measures to address the pandemic.
This indicator presents the sectoral trends and projections for GHG emissions under the scope of the Effort Sharing legislation in the EU-27 and assesses the annual progress of the EU member States throughout the entire compliance period of the Effort Sharing Decision (2013-2020).
Greenhouse gas emissions from the EU’s transport sector increased steadily between 2013 and 2019, a trend that diverges significantly from those in other sectors during that period. Preliminary estimates for 2020 indicate a substantial drop in transport emissions, due to decreased activity during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is anticipated that transport emissions will rebound after 2020. National projections compiled by the EEA indicate that even with measures currently planned in the Member States, domestic transport emissions will only drop below their 1990 level in 2029. International transport emissions (aviation and maritime) are projected to continue increasing.
The greenhouse gas emission intensity of power generation in the EU has been continuously decreasing over the last three decades: generating 1 kilowatt hour in 2020 emitted, on average, half as much CO 2 as in 1990. Policies have been playing an important role in driving this shift towards less carbon-intensive energy sources, in particular those addressing climate change, renewable energy supply and efficient energy use, and industrial emissions. The Covid-19 pandemic hardly affected electricity use in 2020, but the continued growth of renewable electricity caused a further drop in the greenhouse gas emission intensity of electricity generation.
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