EU greenhouse gas emissions still rising

Emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses have risen for the second year in a row, raising question marks over Europe’s ability to meet its Kyoto protocol targets.

The latest figures, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Thursday, show a 0.4 per cent rise in greenhouse gas emissions during 2004.

The increase, around 18 million tonnes, is significantly less than the 53 million tonne overshoot reported last year, but is “still going in the wrong direction”, according to EEA chief Jacqueline McGlade.

“An increase of 0.4 per cent may appear small; however, the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions is such that the actual increase is significant,” said McGlade.

“In 2004, about 11 tonnes of greenhouse gases were released on average per person in the EU-25. The 0.4 per cent increase is comparable to the amount of CO2 emissions released by three million people if they were to drive their cars around the earth.”

Under the Kyoto protocol on climate change, the EU-15 must slash their greenhouse gas emissions by eight per cent below 1990 levels by 2012.

Emissions of greenhouse gases across the EU-25 were 4.8 per cent below the 1990 threshold, but across the EU-15, the figure was only 0.9 per cent, according to the report.

Spain and Italy saw the largest increases with plus 19.7 (4.8 per cent) and 5.1 (0.9 per cent) million tonnes respectively.  More positively, the findings revealed that Germany, Denmark and Finland all saw decreases.

“Despite the various policy initiatives, this report highlights that the trend is still going in the wrong direction,” said McGlade.

“Europe must implement all planned policies and measures relating to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The forthcoming national allocation plans (NAPs) for 2008-2012 under the EU emissions trading scheme must also be ambitious in the context of national commitments to reduce emissions.”

Brussels was heavily criticised in May after figures on the first year of its flagship emissions trading scheme appeared to show that member states had been over-generous in allocating national allowances of carbon trading permits.

Under the scheme, polluters are issued with permits limiting the amount of CO2 they can emit; if companies need to emit more, permits can be bought from other installations that have a surplus. But for the scheme to work, there must be an overall shortage of permits. 

Environmental groups have called for a tough reduction in the number of permits included in new national allocations during the second period of emissions trading, beginning in 2008.

EU environment chief Stavros Dimas urged member states to do better.

“To meet our emissions reduction target member states need to intensify their efforts to implement the many EU measures to combat climate change that have been agreed over the past few years,” said Dimas.

“With their new NAPs due by the end of this month, member states now have a major opportunity to reverse unsustainable emission trends and ensure they will achieve their Kyoto targets.”

But Germany, one of the more generous culprits in the current scheme, earlier this week, denounced media reports that it would set much tougher targets as “speculation”.

And Brussels received further bad news this week after the Paris-based International Energy Agency warned that CO2 emissions could more than double by 2050.

MEPs and environmental groups reacted to the new figures by calling on the commission and member states to take urgent action.

“The figures released by the EEA make for grim reading,” said Finnish Green MEP Satu Hassi.

“For the second year in a row, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU rose. Emissions are going in the wrong direction. This is clearly a setback for EU efforts to meet our Kyoto commitments and demonstrates that, without binding targets and determined political action, climate policy will fail,” warned Hassi.

“If member states and the commission fail to put the necessary policies and measures in place, the EU taxpayer will be left to foot the bill for our pollution, as emissions reductions will have to be bought from abroad.”

Friends of the Earth’s Jan Kowalzig called the new figures embarrassing and said that Europe still hadn’t woken up to the climate crisis.

“Europe’s governments make grand statements about their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, yet economy and industry ministers continue to block or water down policy measures to switch to renewable energies, reduce energy waste or introduce fuel consumption standards for cars.”

EU member states have until June 30 to submit their new emissions trading NAPs to Brussels.

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