The EU is ‘largely on track’ to meet 2020 climate targets, but there is ‘mixed progress’ across member states, a new assessment from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has found.

The ‘Trends and Projections in Europe 2013’ report, which monitors the progress of the EU in meeting its ’20-20-20’ targets (relating to greenhouse gas emission, the use of renewable energy, and energy efficiency), found that although greenhouse gas emissions from the EU have declined by 18 per cent since 1990, there is significant variation in progress between EU member states.

Greenhouse gas emissions

According to the report, the total EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2012 showed a decline of 18 per cent on 1990 levels, suggesting that the EU target of a 20 per cent reduction by 2020 is ‘within grasp'.

Indeed, the EEA notes that total GHG emissions decreased by one per cent between 2011 and 2012 alone (based on approximated GHG inventories for the year 2012 from 18 member states and the EEA) and that the level of decline could surpass the target and reach 21 per cent with the ‘continuation of existing measures alone’. If additional greenhouse gas emission measures (such as energy efficiency measures in the residential and services sectors, currently at ‘planning stage’ in 13 member states) came to fruition, the EEA expects the total reduction to be 24 per cent below 1990 levels in 2020. The projected reductions are expected to be achieved mostly by the energy industry.

In light of the progress made, in 2008, the European Council confirmed that the EU would be increasing this reduction to 30 per cent ‘for the period after 2012’ on condition that ’other developed countries undertake to achieve comparable emission reductions and that the economically more advanced developing countries make a contribution commensurate with their respective responsibilities and capabilities’.

However, the report highlights that six member states (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain), would not be able to meet their emissions target by 2020, even if additional measure planned at national level come in to being. The EEA has thus urged these countries to ‘increase their efforts to design, adopt and implement emission-reducing policies and measures, and will need to consider the use of flexibility mechanisms’.

Renewable energy

The EEA found that the EU is also on track to meet its target of meeting 20 per cent of its total energy consumption from renewable energy sources. According to the assessment, renewable energy already contributed 13 per cent to total energy consumption across the EU in 2011.

In relation the target of improving energy efficiency by 20 per cent on 1990 levels, the report suggested that overall energy efficiency across the EU is moving towards this target but that ‘more policies are needed at member state level.’Further, it found that despite being ‘on track’, EU member states would need to double their use of renewable energy by 2020 compared to the 2005–2011 period to reach the legally binding renewable energy target.

The UK is one of six member states at risk of failing to meet its renewable energy target. The EEA highlights that just to remain on track, it would have had to generate at least four per cent of its total energy consumption from renewable sources in 2011. According to official figures, the UK saw 3.8 per cent of energy produced from renewable sources.

Critics of the UK Government’s energy policies have pointed to a lack of drive in bringing forward a decarbonisation target for the sector as a major barrier to reaching the 2020 target.

Energy efficiency

Progress in increasing energy efficiency by 20 per cent on 1990 levels is the target most at risk, as the EEA found that ‘only four EU member states (Bulgaria, Denmark, France and Germany) are considered to be making good progress’.

Despite the fact that all EU Member States (except Croatia and Slovenia) have set energy efficiency targets for 2020, and although the collective primary energy consumption in 2020 is expected to be ‘close to the level required by the EU political objective of 1,483 million tonnes of electricity’, it will be ‘insufficient’ to achieve the 20 per cent target.

The EEA found that although the building sector has received attention in improving energy efficiency (for example, through the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive), different sectors are ‘not addressed equally’. The report outlined that the appliances and transport sector are particularly prone to lagging behind, as they are ‘often limited to the minimum requirements as obliged by European legislation’.

It reads: ‘Four EU Member States (Bulgaria, Denmark, France and Germany) are making good progress in reducing energy consumption and primary energy intensity through well-balanced policy packages across relevant sectors. For most EU member states, however, the current policies are not sufficiently developed or implemented across the relevant sectors. This is due to insufficient enforcement as well as impacts arising from the economic crisis.’

In conclusion, the report found that while no EU member state is underperforming in all three targets, there is also no state that is on track to meeting targets across all the policy domains.

Today’s choices ‘must not become obstacles’

Commenting on the report, Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director, said: “EEA’s latest analysis confirms that renewable energy and energy efficiency are having a significant effect on bringing down emissions. We must keep building on this success - to achieve the emissions cuts demanded by science, member states must ensure that they are not making choices today that become obstacles to a low carbon future.”

The EEA’s findings, which come after scientists claimed 95 per cent certainty that human activity causes global warming, ‘provide for the first time a complete picture of emission reductions achieved under the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012)’.

Fifteen EU member states had a common commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by eight per cent between 2008 and 2012. This was surpassed, with the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for carbon, having been largely credited with the 12.2 per cent reduction recorded.

Read the EEA’s report on ‘Trends and Projections in Europe 2013’ or find out more about the ’20-20-20’ targets.