10 Implementation of EU obligations under
the Kyoto Protocol
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14868/10
+ ADD 1
COM(10) 569
| Commission Report on progress towards meeting the Kyoto objectives
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| Legal base | —
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| Document originated | 12 October 2010
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| Deposited in Parliament | 15 October 2010
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| Department | Energy and Climate Change
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| Basis of consideration | EM of 28 October 2010
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| Previous Committee Report | None
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| To be discussed in Council | No date set
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| Committee's assessment | Politically important
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| Committee's decision | Cleared
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Background
10.1 In order to meet the environmental challenges presented by
global warming, the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) requires industrialised countries to return
their emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2000 to the levels
obtaining in 1990. However, in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol went on
to set legally binding emission targets for industrialised countries
to meet by 2012. The Community of 15 accordingly undertook to
reduce its 1990 emission levels by 8% by the period 2008-2012,
with reductions being apportioned between the individual Member
States under the Burden Sharing Agreement (see Annex I). Of the
new Member States, all but Cyprus and Malta have individual reduction
targets under the Protocol, equivalent to 8% (except for Hungary
and Poland, where the target is 6%).
The current document
10.2 This report provides a description of historical trends in,
and projections of, greenhouse gas emissions for the EU-15 and
EU-27, based on information provided by Member States, and is
the fifth of a series of annual reports required under Decision
280/2004/EC. Historical emissions are shown between 1990 and 2008
(the latest year for which data is now available), whilst projected
emissions are provided for 2010 (the midpoint of the first commitment
period) on the basis of those measures currently in place and
the additional policies and measures being introduced, as well
as the effect of the planned use of the Kyoto flexible mechanisms,[56]
and the projected use of carbon sinks (Land Use, Land Use Change
and Forestry (LULUCF)) allowed under the Kyoto Protocol.
10.3 The report notes that emissions in the EU-15 in 2008 decreased
by 1.9% compared with 2007, and are now 6.9% below base year emissions,
despite an increase in GDP of 45% since 1990, whilst, for the
EU-27, emissions were 2% lower than in 2007, and 14.3% lower than
the base year. It says that the EU-15 will now meet its Kyoto
target, and that, on current projections, reflecting the economic
recession, it is very likely that this will be over-achieved,
assuming current and planned measures deliver as expected. Also,
with the possible exception of Austria and Italy, each of the
Member States concerned is on track to meet its individual Kyoto
target, whilst nine of the ten EU-12 Member States with targets
are all expected to meet them using only existing policies (with
Slovenia expected to do so when all existing and planned measures
have been taken). The Commission adds that provisional data for
2009 suggest that emissions from the EU-15 and EU-27 fell by a
further 6.9%, taking EU-15 emissions to 12.9% below base year
levels, and those for EU-27 to 17.3% below the base year.
10.4 The Commission goes on to note that the EU has agreed to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 by at least 20% compared
with 1990 levels, with separate targets for those sectors within
and outside the Emissions Trading Scheme. It also says that there
is a significant gap between the 20% target and Member States'
projections, requiring a much steeper emissions reduction path
after 2012, as compared with 1990-2012, and underlining the need
to implement the climate and energy package agreed in 2009.
The Government's view
10.5 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 28 October 2010, the Minister
of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Gregory
Barker) says that the EU and the UK have taken a leading role
in calling for, and taking, action to tackle climate change, and
he notes that UK emissions in 2008 of the six greenhouse gases
regulated under the Kyoto Protocol were 19.4% below base-year[57]
and projected to decline further over 2008-12, meaning that the
UK has already over-achieved its target of 12.5%. He adds that
emissions in 2009 were provisionally estimated to be 26.3% below
the baseline, but that, taking into account the effect of emissions
trading increases, the reductions achieved would be 24.6% below
the baseline.
10.6 The Minister also points out that the Climate Change Act
2008 introduced a long-term legally-binding target, requiring
a reduction of at least 80% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels
of the six Kyoto gases. He says that the carbon budget for the
first budgetary period, which coincides with the first Kyoto commitment
period, has been set at a level in excess of UK's Kyoto commitment,
requiring emission reductions of just over 22% below 1990 levels.
10.7 The Minister concludes by saying that the UK welcomes this
report as a useful signpost of the progress being made by Member
States, although he notes that the data on which it is based are
now somewhat out of date and that later projections show the UK
to be on track to meet its 2020 target and carbon budgets. He
also says that the Government considers that all Member States
should meet their individual Kyoto targets, and that the EU-15
should not rely on over-compliance by some Member States to ensure
that the overall target is met. It believes that this report will
help to sustain the pressure on Member States to ensure that the
necessary existing and planned measures deliver fully.
Conclusion
10.8 This report is the latest in a series of assessments of
the EU's progress towards meeting its Kyoto targets, and provides
some interesting and useful information. As in previous years,
we think it right in clearing the document to report it to the
House, noting that the Commission has confirmed that, provided
current and planned measures deliver as expected, the EU will
meet those targets, and that it is very likely these will be over-achieved.
Annex: Member States' commitments under the
Community's Burden Sharing Agreement (percentage changes for 2008-2012
relative to 1990 emission levels)
| Austria | -13
|
| Belgium | -7.5
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| Denmark | -21
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| Finland | 0
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| France | 0
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| Germany | -21
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| Greece | +25
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| Ireland | +13
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| Italy | -6.5
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| Luxembourg | -28
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| Netherlands | -6
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| Portugal | +27
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| Spain | +15
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| Sweden | +4
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| UK | -12.5
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56 Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development
Mechanism (CDM). Back
57
The base year is 1990 for carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous
oxide, and 1995 for the three fluorinated gases. Back
|
