Brussels, 17/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - According the Commission's annual progress report on emissions, published on Thursday 16 October, the EU and most member states are on track to deliver on their Kyoto Protocol commitments for reducing or limiting emissions of greenhouse gases.
The report, based on the latest projections from member states, indicates that existing policies and measures - which have, then, been put into action - should see EU15 emissions down by 3.6% compared with the reference year (1990 in most cases) by 2010, the middle year of the 2008-2012 period. A further 3% reduction, taking the overall reduction to 6.6%, should be achieved through the purchase of credits from emission-saving projects carried out in third countries under Kyoto's three market-based mechanisms - international emissions trading, the Clean Development Mechanism and the Joint Implementation instrument - that 10 of the 15 member states intend to use. Afforestation and reforestation activities, which create biological “sinks” that absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, would contribute an additional cut of 1.4% taking the overall reduction to 8% and thus delivering on the EU's Kyoto commitment. Additional policies and measures currently under discussion in 10 member states would, if fully implemented, bring further cuts of up to 3.3%, giving a broad safety margin for achieving the 8% reduction target. Furthermore, the Commission states that member states have not fully factored into their projections the limits on emission allowances fixed for the 2008-2012 trading period of the EU Emissions Trading System. It is estimated that for the EU-15 this cap will deliver a 3.3% emissions reduction below base year levels.
There is no collective target for EU-27 emissions. Ten of the twelve member states which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 have individual commitments under the Protocol to reduce their emissions to 6% or 8% below base year levels by 2008-2012. Only Cyprus and Malta have no emission target.
The progress report is available at: http: //ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/gge_progress.htm (O.L./transl.rt)