Recent reports published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission said the EU increased greenhouse gas emission by 2.4 percent in 2010. Despite this slight increase past year, since 1990 the EU has decreased its emissions by 15.5 percent, while the economy grew by 42 percent in the same period of time.

Connie Hadegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, underlined the importance of breaking the link between carbon emissions and economic growth.

The EU-15 feels positive about reducing emission by more than 8 percents, therefore achieving Kyoto Protocol – a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) aimed at fighting global warming.

“The EU continued decoupling emissions from GDP during the recession. Between 2008 and 2009, emissions fell by 7.1 percent in the EU-27, much more than the around 4 percent contraction in GDP. However, last year’s estimated 2.4 percent rise in emissions shows that we need to continue the decoupling process. Pursuing our efforts to make Europe a low-carbon society is the way forward.”

“It will stimulate technological innovation, spur economic growth and create jobs while further reducing emissions so that we meet our 2020 climate and energy targets and long term goals,” Hedegaard stressed,” pointed out Ms. Hedegaard.