20% EU carbon cut close to done in 2009

Estimates by the European Environment Agency (EEA) show that greenhouse gas emissions in the EU decreased to about 17.3 per cent below 1990 levels in 2009, meaning that the current target of 20 per cent by 2020 has almost already been met. A significant component of this reduction was due to decreased economic activity in 2009 due to the recession, which saw coal use drop by 12.7 per cent drop in coal use in the EU. However, for many environmentalists, the numbers re-stress the viability of increasing the 2020 target to 30 per cent.

Source: EEA, 10 September 2010.

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