 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
EU carbon emissions tracked downwards in 2007
Paris (AFP) May 29, 2009 Europe's emissions of greenhouse-gas emissions fell in 2007 for the third year running as warmer weather cut into consumption of oil, coal and gas to heat homes, the European Environment Agency (EAA) said on Friday. Domestic emissions of six greenhouse gases by the 27-nation European Union (EU) fell by 1.2 percent, or the equivalent of 59 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), in 2007 over 2006, the Copenhagen-based agency said. The EU-27 emitted 9.3 percent less gas than in 1990, the base year for the Kyoto Protocol. The 15 older members of the EU saw a year-on-year decrease in emissions of 1.6 percent. Under Kyoto, the EU-15 signed up to an overall reduction of eight percent according to a timeframe of 2008-2012. By the end of 2007, the Fifteen were 5.0 percent below the 1990 benchmark, the EAA said. The big laggards are Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Austria and Finland. These figures do not take into account "forest sinks," by which Kyoto signatures can include the carbon-absorbing capacity of woodlands in their emissions targets. In a press release, EAA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said billions of euros (dollars) earmarked to ease the economic crisis in Europe would have a beneficial spin-off in carbon emissions. The next step is agreement at UN talks in Copenhagen this year that will deepen commitments beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol's provisions expire, McGlade said. "The economic stimulus packages that governments are currently adopting represent a crucial opportunity to address the climate crisis and the financial crisis simultaneously," she said. "A strong Copenhagen agreement later this year would drive forward investments vital to our future prosperity." Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links
AHRI Opposes House Energy Bill In Current FormArlington VA (SPX) May 28, 2009 The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) announced its opposition to H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act) in its current form. If the bill is passed into law, it would, among many other onerous provisions, eviscerate the federal preemption provisions of the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA) and the Energy Policy act of ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2009 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook