Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Hansard, 4 February 2004)

§ Mr. Morley

Under the provisions of the Monitoring Mechanism Decision (Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 99/296/EC), member states are required to report annually to the European Commission on their anthropogenic emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The fourth progress report, published by the Commission in November 2003, shows data for member states' greenhouse gas emissions in 2001.

The base year uses 1990 data for emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. For the fluorinated gases, most member states have chosen 1995 as the base year, as allowed under the Protocol.

Under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the EU and its member states have agreed to meet their commitments jointly under a burden-sharing arrangement. The EU target, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent. below base year levels, has been redistributed between member states to reflect their national circumstances, requirements for economic growth, and the scope for further emission reductions. Under the burden sharing agreement Spain and Portugal have agreed to targets that allow for an increase in their greenhouse gas emissions. Spain has a target to increase its emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12, while Portugal has a target to increase emissions of greenhouse gases by 27 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12.

The UK's target is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. In 2001, UK emissions were 12.3 per cent. below base year levels; Spanish emissions were 32.1 per cent. above base year levels and; Portuguese emissions were 36.4 per cent. above the base year levels. Provisional figures for 2002, for the UK only, indicates emissions were about 15 per cent. below the base year.