Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion in the EU
decreased year-on-year by 0.4 percent, Eurostat, the statistical office
of the European Union (EU), announced on Thursday.
CO2 emissions are a major contributor to global warming and account for around 80 percent of all EU greenhouse gas emissions.
"They
are influenced by factors such as climate conditions, economic growth,
size of population, transport and industrial activities," Eurotstat
stated.
Eurostat underlined that imports and exports of energy
products have an impact on CO2 emissions in the country where fossil
fuels are burned. For example, if coal is imported an increase in
emissions occurs, whereas if electricity is imported, it has no direct
effect on emissions in the importing country, as these would be reported
in the exporting country where it is produced.
The largest falls
in CO2 emissions in 2016 were in Malta and Bulgaria, and the highest
increases were seen in Finland and Cyprus, according to Eurostat
estimates.
"CO2 emissions rose in 2016 in a majority of EU member
states, with the highest increase being recorded in Finland (+8.5
percent), followed by Cyprus (+7.0 percent), Slovenia (+5.8 percent) and
Denmark (+5.7 percent)," according to the data.
In addition,
decreases were registered in eleven member states, notably in Malta
(-18.2 percent), Bulgaria (-7.0 percent), Portugal (-5.7 percent) and
the United Kingdom (-4.8 percent).
(Anadolu Agency)