1.4: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
To monitor and assess progress towards achieving EU greenhouse gas emission policy targets (Kyoto and 2020), evaluate the
effectiveness of EU climate change mitigation policies and measures, and support the development of long-term climate change
mitigation strategies.
Other Information:
Analysis - Global warming will have far-reaching consequences. Action to address global climate change is both technically
feasible and affordable compared to the high costs of unabated climate change. The Kyoto Protocol targets are a first step
to be met by 2012. The key existing relevant legislation is the emission effort sharing amongst member states to achieve the
Kyoto target, the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), targeting power generation and energy intensive industry, and the EU GHG
monitoring mechanism. Substantial further greenhouse gas emission reductions are needed globally to achieve the target proposed
by the EU for limiting change to a maximum temperature increase of + 2 °C above pre‑industrial level. Within UNFCCC a global
post‑Kyoto regime is being developed with agreement anticipated by the end of 2009 in Copenhagen. Action - We will achieve
our objective by: • providing, via SEIS and the EEA Climate Change Data Centre, data, information and indicators collected
from countries under relevant EU legislation on climate mitigation to support European reporting initiatives, such as the
annual EU greenhouse gas inventory, and more up-to-date estimates, full accounting of emission credits in line with Kyoto
and EU legislation, regular updates of GHG emissions indicators and annual analysis of projections and effectiveness of policies
and measures to achieve the Kyoto 2008–2012 and any new targets; • providing annual reporting on member state experiences
with EU ETS, expanded towards effectiveness evaluation of the ETS, Kyoto mechanisms projects and possibly also other carbon
offsetting markets and projects; • producing analyses and assessments of pathways to achieve a low-carbon and 'greener' economy.
These include integrated mitigation and adaptation outlooks and alternative future scenarios, linking socio‑economic developments,
emissions, carbon accounting systems and impacts on water quality, water quantity, biodiversity, soils, forests and oceans
as sinks or sources, and co‑benefits for air quality and public health; • supporting the project of the European Commission
on streamlining air emission and GHG emission data collection and reporting under various existing legislation, including
the NEC Directive and the GHG Monitoring Mechanism; • supporting the UNFCCC review and any technical issues arising from the
UNFCCC negotiation process; and • creating user-friendly access to reports, data, indicators and other information through
the EEA Climate Change Data Centre, with related analytical and decision-support tools.
Indicator(s):
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