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Two thirds of EU countries set to miss Kyoto commitments

27 December 2005

Ten of the fifteen EU countries committed to a burden sharing agreement to combat climate change under the Kyoto Protocol will fall short without urgent action to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, according to new research published today (Tuesday) by the Institute for Public Policy Research.

ippr has devised a 'traffic lights' analysis of each country's performance showing:

• Ten are on red and will fail to meet their targets even with planned additional measures, including Italy, Spain and Ireland;
• Three are on amber and will only meet their targets if planned new policies are implemented;
• Only two, the UK and Sweden, get a green light and are on course to meet their targets.

The most recent figures show carbon dioxide emissions rising in thirteen of the fifteen countries, including the UK.

Tony Grayling, ippr Associate Director said:

"We are nearing the point of no return on climate change. We have very little time left to start reducing global greenhouse gas emissions before irreparable damage is done. It is vital that EU countries keep their promises to cut pollution. They must take action now to get back on the Kyoto track, including energy saving and investment in renewable energy. In the new year, EU countries will need to adopt tougher limits on emissions from power stations and heavy industry, in the second phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme."

Notes to Editors:

The graph and table below show whether or not each of the 15 EU countries that are part of the burden sharing agreement is projected to meet its Kyoto target to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the 1990 level by 2008-12, with or without planned additional measures. Data was sourced from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

EU countries must submit their plans on the second phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme by June 2006. The Directive requires them to be consistent with each country's Kyoto target.

ippr's International Climate Change Taskforce was co-chaired by UK Labour MP Stephen Byers and US Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and was established in March 2004 with the Center for American Progress and The Australia Institute. The Taskforce report 'Meeting the Climate Challenge' is available from www.ippr.org.

Download Traffic Lights Data

More detailed data is available upon request. Please contact Tim Lawrence at ippr on 0207 470 6176 or t.lawrence@ippr.org

Contacts:
Matt Jackson, ippr Senior Media Officer, 020 7339 0007 / 07753 719 289 / m.jackson@ippr.org

Tony Grayling, ippr Associate Director, 020 7470 6116/ 07855 386477 / t.grayling@ippr.org