The European Union 15 first members already achieved their Kyoto Protocol goals and will even go beyond. Meanwhile, the 27 members already cut their emissions by 13.6 percent.
These excellent results date of 2007. With the economic recession of the past months, the industrial activity have drastically decreased and thus the emissions and thus slashed even more the pollution.
This is a tremendous success that shows that cutting greenhouse gases emissions is possible with a real political will. If only this could inspire our representatives in Copenhagen in December.
To CleanTechnica, these excellent results are the combination of several factors :
- 6.9 percent reduction thanks to the various efficiency and renewables measures ;
- 2.2 percent reduction via the Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) ;
- 1.4 percent reduction from the European Cap and Trade ;
- One percent reduction from afforestation and reforestation.
If the European Union already cut its emissions by 13 percent, why couldn’t we go as far as 35 percent or more by 2020 ? We now have tools that work perfectly to enable this.
35 percent emissions less by 2020 compared to 1990 is feasible. The United Kingdom already planned to do so with its UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.
I also believe that after 2020 we could cut our emissions by 20 points each decade. That way our 2040 emissions would be 75 percent lower than in 1990.
This of course would require massive investments in housing, transportation, industry and agriculture.
If you want further details, please check out the following resources :
- The official report (pdf format) ;
- TreeHugger : Cap and Trade Works: Europe to Hit Kyoto Targets with Ease
- Cleantechnica : EU on Track to Meet or Exceed Original Kyoto Goals: Estimate 13.9% Below 1990
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It’s worth remembering that in a recent audit of world emissions, it turned out that around 1/4 of the emissions of the Third World could be attributed to producing things for the West. The West has reduced emissions by exporting them to the Third World.
Who will the Third World export its emissions to?
We in the West don’t need to get other people to produce our goods, we need to produce our goods in new low or zero-emissions ways, and to reduce our consumption.
I totally agree with that Kiashu, we indeed need to start back producing our own stuff at home.
I guess with the higher oil prices we will go from globalisation to glocalisation, ie. with more local business being made. (within the European Union and other local business groups)
I previously wrote on how a third of China’s GHG emissions is due to our reckless society of over-consumption. So if they became the first greenhouse gases emitter, it’s partly our fault…
Keep up the good work, it’s always a pleasure to have you here (I am indeed glad you are back after these months of silence 🙂 )
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