Brussels, 07/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Good news for the climate. In 2013, the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the combustion of fossil fuels is reported to have fallen by 2.5% in the EU compared to the previous year, according to the preliminary estimates published on Wednesday 7 May by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In 2012, there was a decline of 1.6%.
Eurostat estimates that between 2012 and 2013, these emissions fell in 22 of the 28 member states. On the other hand, they rose in Denmark (+6.8%), Estonia (+4.4%), Portugal (+3.6%), Germany (+2.0%), France (+0.6%) and Poland (+0.3%). The greatest drops were seen in Cyprus (-14.7%), Romania (-14.6%), Spain (-12.6%), Slovenia (-12.0%), and Bulgaria and Greece (-10.2% each).
In 2013, the member states with the highest CO2 emissions levels in absolute terms were Germany (760 million tonnes), followed by the United Kingdom (455 million tonnes), France (346 million tonnes), Italy (342 million tonnes), Poland (290 million tonnes), Spain (222 million tonnes) and the Netherlands (162 million tonnes). These seven member states accounted for 77% of the EU's total CO2 emissions last year.
CO2 emissions represent around 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. They are influenced by various factors, such as climate conditions, economic growth, population size, transport and industrial activities, but also by the measures taken by the EU to increase energy efficiency.
Imports and exports of energy products also have a bearing on the level of CO2 emissions in countries where fossil fuels are burned. For example, imported coal leads to an increase in emissions, whilst imported electricity has no direct effect on the emissions of the importer country, but affects the exporter country in which it was produced, Eurostat stresses. (AN)