What progress is EU making towards the Kyoto targets?
Helped by the EU-level policies and measures developed under the ECCP, as well as by national initiatives, the EU has succeeded in “decoupling” its greenhouse gas emissions from economic growth. Between the base year (1990 in most cases) and 2004, the EU-15 reduced their collective emissions by 0.9% while the economy grew by 32%. EU-25 emissions were down by 7.3%. Projections show that the EU-15’s 8% reduction target can be achieved in 2010 provided that all actions planned by member states are fully implemented and deliver the emission savings anticipated. However, seven EU-15 member states project that they will exceed their emission limits: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain (see Annex for details). This indicates that they need to step up efforts to meet their targets. All of the new member states were on track to achieve their individual targets. If all actions planned are taken, the total EU-25 emissions reduction would reach 10.8% in 2010.
