Developed countries cut greenhouse gas emissions 5.9% since 1990
Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com
November 17, 2005
Developed countries, taken as a group, have cut overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 5.9% compared to the 1990 levels according to a new publication from the United Nations Climate Change secretariat.
“National efforts to implement the Climate Change Convention and to prepare for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol have already resulted in emission reductions”, said Richard Kinley, acting head of the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
However, Kinley warned that the figures are misleading due to reduced emissions in the early 1990s from Eastern and Central Europe, where especially inefficient industries shut down as these countries transitioned to a market economy after the end of the Cold War.
“What we see is that the emissions from developed countries as a group have been stable in recent years and not decreased as they did in the early 1990s. Moreover, GHG projections indicate the possibility of emission growth by 2010. It means that ensuring sustained and deeper emission reductions remains a challenge for developed countries.”.
The UN climate body also warned that further cuts are needed to slow global warming.
The US accounts for about 24 per cent of global fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide emissions.