The annual average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), the most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, increased to 405 and 408 parts per million (ppm) in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
The total concentration of all greenhouse gases, including cooling aerosols, reached a value of 454 ppm in CO 2 equivalents in 2019 — an increase of more than 4 ppm compared with 2016, and 37 ppm more than 10 years ago.
If the concentrations of the different greenhouse gases continue to increase at current rates, peak concentration levels required to stay below a temperature increase of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels could be reached within the next 3-13 years. Peak concentration levels required to stay below a maximum 2 °C temperature increase could be reached in 15-29 years. In both cases a 50 % probability of exceedance and no a temperature overshoot are assumed.
Given the increasing concentration levels, negative emissions may become important to increase the probability of remaining below the temperature objectives agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement on the climate.
Fluorinated greenhouse gases reported under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change accounted for approximately 3 % of overall greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in tonnes CO 2 equivalent, in the EU in 2017. There was a 3 % decline in fluorinated greenhouse emissions in the EU in 2015, the first time a decline had been observed in 15 years. In 2016 and 2017, total fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions decreased by a further 1 % and 2 %, respectively. Increases in SF 6 were offset by decreases in HFCs and NF 3 .
The supply of fluorinated greenhouse gases to the EU, measured in CO 2 equivalents, has been decreasing since 2010, with the exception of 2014, which saw extraordinarily high levels of hydrofluorocarbon imports prior to the EU-wide hydrofluorocarbon phase-down, coming into effect in 2015 under the EU F-gas Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 517/2014).
The supply of unsaturated hydrofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons that have low global warming potential (GWP) approximately doubled each year from 2014 to 2017, replacing hydrofluorocarbons that have high global warming potential. However, trends in the use of non-halogenated refrigerants, which can also substitute hydrofluorocarbons, are not covered by statistics.
The EU is on track to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons, in terms of both complying with its internal targets under the EU F-Gas Regulation since 2015, and reaching the hydrofluorocarbon consumption limit, in effect since 2019, under the Montreal Protocol.
A significant reduction in the consumption of ozone-depleting substances has been achieved by the 28 EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey (EEA-33) since 1986. This reduction has been largely driven by the 1987 United Nations Environment Programme Montreal Protocol.
Upon the entry into force of the Montreal Protocol, EEA-33 consumption was approximately 420 000 ozone-depleting potential tonnes. Consumption values of around zero were reached in 2002 and have remained at this level ever since. S ince the early 1990s, th e EU has taken additional measures, in the shape of EU law, to reduce the consumption of ozone-depleting substances. In many aspects, the current EU regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer (1005/2009/EC) goes further than the Montreal Protocol and has also brought forward the phasing out of hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the EU.
The average carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from new passenger cars registered in the European Union (EU) in 2018 increased for the second consecutive year, reaching 120.4 grams of CO 2 per kilometre.
Despite the recent increase, new cars sold in 2018 were on average 14 % more efficient than those sold in 2010.
Average annual CO 2 emissions from new light commercial vehicles (vans) increased in 2018 for the first time since Regulation (EU) 510/2011 came in to force.
Despite the recent increase, the average van sold in 2018 was 12 % more efficient than the one sold in 2012.
According to preliminary estimates, EU greenhouse gas emissions increased by 0.6 % in 2017, following a 0.4 % decrease in 2016.
These 2017 levels correspond to a 22 % reduction from 1990 levels, which is more than the EU reduction target of 20 % by 2020.
According to Member States’ projections reported in 2017 and 2018:
greenhouse gas emissions in the EU are expected to decrease further by 2020 to 26 % below 1990 levels with the current measures that are already in place;
a 32 % reduction of EU greenhouse gas emissions could be achieved by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. These projected reductions fall short of the 40 % target for 2030.
Passenger transport demand in the EU-28 increased by 2.5 % between 2015 and 2016, the second largest annual growth rate since 1999.
Car passenger travel remains the dominant transport mode accounting for well over 70 % of total passenger transport.
Air transport demand continues to grow and now boasts a modal share of passenger transport of over 10 % — the largest share since 1995. Compared with 2015, air transport grew by 6 % in 2016.
Rail passenger travel is stable, accounting for 6.8 % of transport demand in 2016.
Land-based passenger transport demand also grew in non-EU EEA member countries. In 2016, it grew by 16 % in Iceland, 3.3 % in Turkey, 2.1 % in Switzerland and less than 1 % in Norway compared with 2015, .
In 2016, the main contributors to the increase in total freight transport were road and maritime freight (+5.2 % and 6.4 %, respectively). Total freight transport increased by 4.6 % compared with 2015, the largest annual increase since 2010.
The modal share of freight transported over land remained largely constant and is still dominated by road transport (76 %), followed by rail (17 %) and inland waterways (6 %).
In 2016, the transport sector contributed 27 % of total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions. The figure decreases to 20 % if international aviation and maritime emissions are excluded.
Emissions from t ransport (including international aviation but excluding international shipping) in 2016 were 26 % above 1990 levels despite a decline between 2008 and 2013. Emissions increased by almost 3 % compared with 2015. International aviation experienced the largest percentage increase in greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels (+114 %), followed by international shipping (+33 %) and road transport (+22 %). EEA estimates show that emissions from transport (including aviation) further increased by 1.5 % in 2017.
Emissions need to fall by around two thirds by 2050, compared with 1990 levels, in order to meet the long-term 60 % greenhouse gas emission reduction target as set out in the 2011 Transport White Paper.
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