Mediaboss Marketing

As the world decries Donald Trumps decision to quit the Paris pact,greenhouse gas releases rise in Europe for first time since 2010

BERLIN A new report showed greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union rose in 2015, the first increase since 2010, even as European officials decried the United States decision to quit a global climate pact.

Emissions grew by 0.5 percent compared with 2014, mainly due to increases from transportation and a colder winter, the European Environment Agency said.

Greenhouse gases are a major contributor to man-made climate change and most countries around the world have pledged to reduce emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The report was released as the EU is trying to emphasise its commitment to combatting global warming, with senior European officials appealing unsuccessfully to US President Donald Trump not to quit the Paris accord.

The former reality TV star announced from Washington yesterday that the United States would be quitting the Paris accord, before declaring that under the Trump administration it will continue to be the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on earth, a claim that experts immediately ridiculed.

Higher emissions were caused mainly by increasing road transport, both passenger and freight, and slightly colder winter conditions in Europe, compared to 2014, leading to higher demand for heating, the European Environment Agency said.

It noted that improvements in fuel efficiency failed to offset the growth in traffic.

Road transport emissions about 20 percent of total EU greenhouse gas emissions increased for the second year in a row in 2015, by 1.6 percent, the agency said.

It noted, however, that the EU has achieved a long-term reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2015 of 22.1 percent despite economic growth of 50 percent.

This decoupling of economic growth from emissions during the 25-year period occurred due to a mix of green policies, such as encouraging the use of renewable energy and improving fuel efficiency, and changes in European economies that have seen a shift away from heavily polluting industries toward service jobs.

Milder winters have also contributed to a decline in heating fuel use, the agency said.

Herald with AP

View post:
Emissions rise in the European Union - Buenos Aires Herald