Greenhouse gas emissions growing faster
A new report from the Joint Research Council (JRC)
says that man-made global greenhouse gas emissions increased by 15%
between 2000 and 2005, a sharp increase in the expected rate of growth.
It also shows that global annual emissions of greenhouse gases
increased from 24 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 1970
to 33 billion tonnes in 1990 and 41 billion tonnes in 2005.
The new report takes its figures from EDGAR (the 'Emission database
for global atmospheric research'), a joint project between the JRC and
the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL).
EDGAR is a detailed overview of 35 years (from 1970 to 2005) of
greenhouse gas emissions by country and emission sector. It covers not
only carbon dioxide but also other groups of chemical compounds known
to have a detrimental effect on the environment, such as
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
EDGAR used the latest international statistics and data on
greenhouse gas emissions to model emissions for every country in the
world. It reports on energy production and consumption, industrial
manufacturing, agricultural production, disposal of waste materials and
the burning of biomass. It also provides data on greenhouse-gas
emissions for the 20 years preceding the 1990 Kyoto protocol.
The EDGAR database shows conclusively that greenhouse gas emissions
have been rising faster in developing countries than in industrialised
ones since 2004, even though developing countries emit lower levels of
the gases. Levels of emissions in developing countries are now 3 times
higher than they were in 1970 (from 7 billion tonnes in 1970 to
approximately 21 billion tonnes in 2005). At the same time, man-made
emission levels from industrialised countries have slowed down.
Carbon dioxide showed the greatest growth, but levels of gases such
as methane and nitrous oxide have also increased. Emissions of
fluorinated greenhouse gases (such as hydrofluorocarbons, which are
extremely powerful and long lasting in the atmosphere) have increased
by up to 40%.
The EDGAR database fills a gap in current greenhouse gas statistics
as it gives consistent information on both industrialised and
developing countries. Previous versions of EDGAR have been used for the
past 15 years, but information on emission rates in developing
countries has been inconsistent in terms of both amount and quality.
The EDGAR statistics will be used to provide a global perspective
on worldwide trends in greenhouse gas emissions at the United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP15), which will take place in Copenhagen
in December 2009.
Source: Community R&D Information Service (CORDIS)
