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4 September 2007- Greenhouse gas emissions from the 15 pre-2004 European Union member states fell by 35.2m tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 0.8 per cent, between 2004 and 2005, according to a report issued by the European Environment Agency.
Total EU-27 emissions decreased by 38m tonnes CO2e (0.7 per cent) over the same period, the report said. EU-15 emissions (not including emissions from land-use, land-use change or forestry) in 2005 were 86m tonnes CO2e (2 per cent) below 1990 base year levels under the Kyoto Protocol, while EU-27 emissions were 7.9 per cent below 1990 levels.
Under the Protocol, the EU-15 have a combined target of a 8 per cent cut from 1990 levels, while the newer 12 member states have individual targets ranging from 6 per cent to 8 per cent.
The report, Annual European Community greenhouse gas inventory 1990-2005 and inventory report 2007, is the EU's mandatory annual report to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change under the terms of Kyoto.
The year-on-year reduction was attributed to lower emissions from electricity and heat production (9.6m tonnes), households and the service sector (7m tonnes) and road transport (6m tonnes).
In addition, reduced nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture contributed 4m tonnes to the reduction, while lower methane emissions from waste disposal represented 2.1m tonnes and reduced methane emissions from coal mining added 2.5m tonnes to the total cut.
Emissions from some other sectors increased, however. Hydrofluorocarbon emissions from refrigeration and air-conditioning rose by 3.2m tonnes, N2/O emissions from nitric acid production were up by 2.1 tonnes, CO2 emissions from oil refining were up 1.9 m tonnes and civil aviation emissions rose 1.7m tonnes.
In geographical terms, the report said Spain showed the greatest increase in emissions in 2005, with Spanish emissions up by 15.4m tonnes. German emissions showed the largest decrease of 23.5m tonnes, while there were significant cuts also from Finland (11.9m tonnes) and the Netherlands (6.3 m tonnes).
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