European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down 23 Percent

European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down 23 Percent. The European Union, the world’s No. 3 greenhouse gas polluter, says its emissions fell 4 percent last year, meaning the 28-nation bloc has already surpassed its target for 2020.

A report by the EU’s environment agency on Tuesday said 2014 emissions were 23 percent lower than in 1990. The EU’s goal is to achieve 20 percent reductions by 2020, but the report said the bloc is headed for 24-25 percent cuts with current measures to fight climate change. European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Down 23 Percent

It said the drop in 2014 “was partly due to an unusually warm year, which lowered energy demand.”

EU Climate Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete called the results “a strong signal” ahead of a December climate conference in Paris that “Europe stands by its commitments and that our climate and energy policies work.”Climate change, periodic modification of Earth’s climate brought about as a result of changes in the atmosphere as well as interactions between the atmosphere and various other geologic, chemical, biological, and geographic factors within the Earth system.

© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.