GHG emissions in the EU - Statistics & Facts
While the European Union (EU) is still a major greenhouse gas polluter, it has made good progress in reducing its emissions in recent decades while also growing its economy. It now has its sights set on becoming the world's first continent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. On its path to achieving this goal, the EU aims to reduce its GHG emissions by 55 percent by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. But can it deliver?
Despite having slashed its GHG emissions by more than 30 percent since 1990, emissions projections show that the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 climate target.
Emissions reductions in the EU
In 2022, total net GHG emissions in the EU decreased by 1.3 percent year-on-year across the EU-27, to 3.2 billion metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (GtCO₂e). This represents an overall reduction of roughly 31 percent, relative to 1990 levels. Further reductions are projected to have occurred in 2023, with CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels estimated to have dropped more than eight percent that year. One of the biggest factors for these reductions has been the transition to cleaner energy sources, which has seen energy supply sector emissions fall more than 40 percent since 1990. Other contributing factors include the increased implementation of climate regulations and policies, such as the Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS), which is a key part of the EU’s climate strategy.What are the main sources of emissions?
Although the energy supply sector has achieved notable emission reductions in recent times, it remains the largest source of GHG emissions in the EU, with a share of roughly 27 percent in 2022. The transportation sector followed closely, having produced almost a quarter of total emissions that year (excluding LULULCF and international shipping). Road transportation CO₂ emissions alone amounted to more than 750 million metric tons (MtCO₂) in 2022.The EU’s pathway to a carbon neutral economy
In addition to increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix to 42.5 percent by 2030, the EU has outlined several other strategies to reach its climate targets. These include, among others, boosting the deployment of carbon capture technologies, implementing a new separate emissions trading system (EU-ETS II) that will cover CO₂ emissions from buildings and road transportation, increasing large-scale electrification, imposing stricter emissions standards on vehicles, and scaling up domestic clean tech manufacturing.Despite having slashed its GHG emissions by more than 30 percent since 1990, emissions projections show that the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 climate target.
