Monday 18 May 2015

EU industrial emissions down 4.5%

Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and industrial facilities fell by around 4.5% last year.

New statistics recorded in the Union Registry by the European Commission revealed verified emissions from more than 11,000 power plants and industrial sites covered by the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) amounted to 1,812 million tonnes of carbon equivalent.

Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner responsible for Climate Action and Energy said: "Even while our economies are getting back in the growth track, emissions continue to decrease. This once again shows that economic growth and climate protection can go hand in hand.

“This sends a powerful signal ahead of the new global climate deal to be agreed in Paris this December: carbon markets deliver cost-effective reductions. At the same time, the recession continues to have a lasting impact on our carbon market.”

Under the EU ETS, operators are required to submit their verified emissions data for each year to member state registries.

The surplus in emission allowances has been slightly reduced from around 2.1 billion to around 2.07 billion.