EEA: ‘Europe saw significant drop in CO2 emissions in 2023’

Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union dropped by eight percent last year – the biggest drop in decades, marking significant progress toward climate neutrality.

According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) ‘Trends and Projections’ report, the huge drop was led by a significant decline in coal use and the growth of renewable energy sources, supported by reduced energy consumption across Europe.

Shift to sustainable energy

In 2023, total greenhouse gas emissions in Europe decreased by approximately 37% compared to the benchmark year 1990. The reduction results from a shift from coal to sustainable energy, especially from solar and wind, and from declining energy use in general.

According to EEA estimates, the share of renewable energy has grown from 10% in 2005 to an estimated 24% of the EU’s gross final energy consumption by 2023.

Climate-neutral bu 2050?

Further, the EU has managed to continue reducing its energy consumption: primary energy use has fallen by 19% since 2005, while final energy consumption saw a 11% reduction during the same timeframe, according to early estimates for 2023.

The EU Climate Law sets ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions – a net 55% reduction below 1990 levels by 2030, and climate neutrality by 2050, to deliver European commitments under the international Paris Agreement.

If all undeveloped plans in many countries are included, the Environment Agency expects a decrease of about 49 percent in 2030. That is still six percentage points too few. In addition, some countries do not appear to be achieving their targets.

More climate measures needed

In industry, emissions have fallen by almost a third over the past two decades due to improved production methods and measures that led to more efficient energy use.

However, the situation is different in sectors that are less easily regulated at the European level and, therefore, rely mainly on national policy, such as agriculture, transport, and waste processing. Consequently, the transport sector in the EU is now the largest emitter and more climate measures will be needed in agriculture.

For 2040 and 2050, existing projections reveal a widening gap between the aggregated national expected emissions and the EU targets.

‘No choice but to strengthen our efforts’

 Leena Ylä-Mononen, EEA Executive Director: “As our recent European climate risk assessment revealed, the impact of climate change is accelerating. This leaves us no choice but to strengthen our resilience to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s Trends and Projections Report calls for comprehensive action across all sectors to achieve our shared goal of balancing greenhouse gas emissions and carbon removals within the next two and a half decades.”

The EEA’s Trends and Projections in Europe report explores historical trends, recent progress, and projected future progress on climate mitigation through reduced greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy gains, and improved energy efficiency. It builds on data reported by the EU-27 Member States, five EEA member countries, and nine Contracting Parties of the Energy Community.