Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the burning of fossil fuels went down significantly by 2.6% in the European Union (EU) in 2018 compared to 2017, Eurostat, the EU's statistical office stated on Wednesday in a press release. CO2 emissions were lower in 2018 in most EU member states, according to Eurostat's initial estimates, published on Wednesday.
The biggest decrease was in Portugal(-9.0%), followed by Bulgaria (-8.1%), Ireland (-6.8%), Germany (-5.4%), Netherlands (-4.6%) and Croatia (-4.3%). Belgium itself recorded a decrease of 0.3% in its CO2 emissions over the same period, Eurostat continued.
Increases were recorded elsewhere in eight EU member states: Latvia (+8.5%), Malta (+6.7%), Estonia (+4.5%), Luxemburg (+3.7%), Poland (+3.5%), Slovakia (+2.4%), Finland (+1.9%) and Lithuania (+0.6%).
CO2 emissions contribute significantly to global warming, accounting for approximately 80% of all greenhouse effect gas emissions in the EU. They are influenced by factors like climatic conditions, economic growth, population size, transport and industrial activities, the statistical office states.
The Brussels Times
CO2 emissions in the EU were down in 2018 compared to 2017
