Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union dropped 4.1 percent from 2013 to 2014, reaching their lowest level since 1990, according to the European Environment Agency’s annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory, released Tuesday. Emissions dropped 24.4 percent from 1990 to 2014, the report finds. “There has been a progressive decoupling of gross domestic product (GDP) and GHG emissions compared to 1990, with an increase in GDP of about 47 [percent] alongside a decrease in emissions of more than 24 [percent] over the period,” according to the report.
The decrease is a step the right direction, EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx said in a press release. “To accelerate the transition towards a low-carbon society, we need to further boost our investments in technology and innovation aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.”
The report attributes the decrease to the growing application of renewable energy, the use of less carbon intensive fuels, improvements in energy efficiency technology, and structural changes in the EU economy.
