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Europe leads the fight against climate change
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The Earth is rapidly getting warmer, threatening serious and even catastrophic disruption to our societies and to the natural environment on which we depend. Over the course of the 20th century the average temperature increased by around 0.6 C globally, by almost 1 C in Europe and by no less than 5 C in the Arctic. This man-made warming is already having many disruptive effects around the globe.
Sea levels are rising as a result of melting glaciers and ice sheets, threatening to flood low-lying communities. Extreme weather conditions; floods, droughts, storms are becoming more severe, more frequent and more costly in some parts of the world. And many endangered species may be pushed to extinction over the coming decades as climate change affects their traditional habitats.
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Climate change mitigation
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Multimedia
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Decomposition of current progress achieved by European countries towards their Kyoto targets by the end of 2010
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A positive sign signifies a favourable contribution towards target achievement.
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Actual (2008 and 2009) and expected (2008–2012) average annual emissions and removals from LULUCF activities
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A positive value indicates that the country has/expects net removals from LULUCF activities, taking into account the caps for forest management. It does not necessarily mean that the country intends to actually use RMUs to achieve its Kyoto commitment. The estimate of the actual effects of LULUCF activities might change in future years if better data becomes available.
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Maps and graphs
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Actual progress of the EU‑15 towards its burden-sharing target in absolute and relative terms
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The X-axis (0 % line) corresponds to the achievement of the EU-15 reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol (– 8 % compared to base-year emissions).
Positive values correspond to contributions to the achievement of the EU-15 Kyoto target, while negative values represent shortfalls.
The difference between target and GHG emissions concerns the sectors not covered by the EU ETS, which represent the right emissions and target to consider for the assessment of actual progress towards Kyoto targets.
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Difference between verified emissions and caps in all 30 countries participating in the EU ETS, 2008–2010
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A positive sign indicates that verified emissions (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2008/2010 average) were higher than available allowances (i.e. the EU ETS helps the Member State to reach its Kyoto target). A negative sign indicates that verified emissions were lower than available allowances (i.e. the EU ETS does not help the Member State to reach its Kyoto target).
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Maps and graphs
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Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2007 and inventory report 2009
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The present inventory also constitutes the EU‑15 voluntary submission under the Kyoto Protocol.
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Publications
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Gap between average 2008–2010 total GHG emissions and Kyoto targets (without the use of carbon sinks and flexible mechanisms)
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* 2008–2009 average emissions (no approximated 2010 GHG emissions available for Liechtenstein.
Each bar represents the gap between domestic emissions and the Kyoto target. A positive value indicates that national total emissions were lower than the Kyoto target.
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Data and maps
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Maps and graphs
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Gap between average 2008–2009 total GHG emissions and Kyoto targets (with and without the use of carbon sinks and flexible mechanisms)
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The assessment is based on average 2008–2009 emissions and the planned use of flexible mechanisms as well as the expected effect of LULUCF activities. For each country, the top bar represents the gap between domestic emissions and the Kyoto target, while the bar below includes the planned effect of Kyoto mechanisms and carbon sinks. A positive value indicates a country for which average 2008 and 2009 non-ETS emissions were lower than the annual target. Based on the actual Swiss emissions for 2008 and 2009 and projections for the remaining years of the first commitment period, the Swiss government decided on 10 June 2011 to increase its use of flexible mechanisms to meet the Kyoto target.
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Maps and graphs
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Credits from CDM & JI surrendered for 2008–2010
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Maps and graphs
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EU policies deliver greenhouse gas emission reductions
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The European Union has been reducing its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990. The EU has ‘over-achieved’ its Kyoto target for the period 2008–2012 and is projected to ‘over-achieve’ its 2020 targets. Can we reduce GHG emissions and have a strong economy at the same time? What was the impact of the recent recession on the EU’s GHG emissions? Does policy work?
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Articles
