EU: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decrease by 8% in 2023 (EEA)
According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the European Union (EU) decreased by 8% in 2023 compared to the previous year. This decline follows two years of modest progress due to the post-pandemic recovery.
The reduction, described as “the largest in decades,” brings emissions down by 37% from their levels in 1990.
“The huge drop was led by a significant decline in coal use and growth of renewable energy sources and supported by reduced energy consumption across Europe,” the agency stated in a report covered by various media outlets.
Current measures in place within the EU indicate that net emissions are projected to be reduced by 43% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, according to the EEA. However, this projection falls short of the 55% reduction target set by European legislation.
“22 Member States have submitted additional projections that include planned but not yet launched measures,” the report notes, adding that “together, these would reduce net emissions in the EU by 49% below 1990 levels in 2030, in the target scope of the EU Climate Law.”
