EU CO2 emissions from energy use edge up in 2015
Photo by Arnold Paul cropped by Gralo
(LUXEMBOURG) - Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion increased by 0.7% in the European Union in 2015 compared with the previous year, according to figures from Eurostat, the EU's statistical office.
CO2 emissions, a major contributor to global warming, account for around 80% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. They are influenced by factors such as climate conditions, economic growth, size of the population, transport and industrial activities.
Highest increases in Slovakia and Portugal
CO2 emissions rose in a majority of EU Member States in 2015, according to Eurostat's estimates, with highest increases being recorded in Slovakia (+9.5%), Portugal (+8.6%) and Hungary (+6.7%), followed by Belgium (+4.7%) and Bulgaria (+4.6%).
Decreases were registered in eight Member States, notably in Malta (-26.9%), Estonia (-16.0%), Denmark (-9.9%), Finland (-7.4%) and Greece (-5.0%).
This information on early estimates of CO2 emissions from energy use for 2015 is published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Various EU energy efficiency initiatives aim to reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
Eurostat points out that EU imports and exports of energy products have an impact on CO2 emissions in the country where fossil fuels are burned: for example if coal is imported this leads to an increase in emissions, while if electricity is imported, it has no direct effect on emissions in the importing country, as these would be reported in the exporting country where it is produced.