Illustration: Getty, modified by RE.
The European Commission announced on October 31 a significant drop in net greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union for the year 2023. With a reduction of 8.3% compared to 2022.
“This is the largest annual decline in decades, with the exception of 2020, when Covid-19 led to a 9.8% reduction in emissions”underlines Brussels in a press release. The Commission welcomed this progress, an 8.3% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which it largely attributes to the development of renewable energies.
This notable decline in emissions is also a sign, according to Brussels, of a “continued decoupling of emissions and economic growth”. Indeed, since 1990, EU greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 37%, while GDP has increased by 68% over the same period, showing that reducing environmental impact cannot does not necessarily slow down economic growth. Looking only at the decline in greenhouse gas emissions is limiting, because there is currently no decoupling between GDP and biodiversity, which is in sharp decline.
Also read
New record for energy-related CO2 emissions in 2023
Energy transition and abandonment of coal
A significant part of this reduction comes from the production of electricity and heating, which recorded a 24% drop in emissions in 2023. This reduction is the result of an increasing use of renewable energies, such as wind turbines and solar panels, as well as an accelerated transition to abandon coal, a particularly polluting fossil energy source. While it is difficult to precisely quantify its involvement, the drop in demand for electricity, partly due to an economic slowdown, may also have played a role in the drop in emissions.
In 2023, renewable energy accounted for 44.7% of electricity production in the EU, an increase of 12.4% compared to the previous year. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, fell by 19.7% and now only account for 32.5% of European electricity production. Nuclear power plants, for their part, contributed 22.8% (+1.2%). The electricity mix, however, remains heterogeneous depending on the Member States.
Also read
How much CO2 does nuclear power actually emit per kilowatt hour produced?
Aviation emissions on the rise
Despite this progress, some sectors are struggling to reduce their emissions. This is particularly the case for aviation, where emissions increased by 9.5% in 2023. This increase can be explained by a post-Covid recovery, with air travel regaining its popularity in Europe. The aviation sector thus remains a major challenge for the European Union.
Although Europe stands out for its progress in reducing emissions – which has historically contributed to global warming – the rest of the world shows a much less encouraging trend. The United Nations announced on October 28 that the international community’s current commitments would only lead to a 2.6% reduction in global emissions by 2030 compared to 2019. However, to hope to limit warming to 1, 5°C, this reduction should reach 43%. These figures call for urgently intensified global efforts as extreme weather events increase across the planet.
Also read
Why is the French train the cleanest means of transport?
