EU C02 emissions dropped by 11% in 2009

What last year's Copenhagen Conference failed to do, the recession did instead with the global downturn forcing industrial installations to cut back on production and therefore on their carbon emissions. As such, according to new data published by the European Commission, the EU's carbon emissions fell by 11 percent (the figure does not include Portugal, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and Norway who had not yet submitted their data to the EU executive).

According to the report that was compiled by market analyst Point Carbon, total industrial emissions last year amounted to 1.887 billion tonnes, an 11 percent drop that confirmed that the recession had an environmental benefit by stifling industrial production as well as power demand.

Ironically, due to the recession EU emissions dropped below the cap set by the EU ETS, which is designed to help the EU meet its climate change commitments, even leaving the continent with a surplus of emission allowances amounting to 80 million tonnes of C02.

However despite the drop in carbon, there are concerns from environmentalist groups that as surplus allowances can be banked and used in the next trading phase starting in 2013, the recession will still be dragging down carbon prices years from now.

Who's cutting emissions?

While there was general anger from around the world at the lack of progress made during the Copenhagen conference, there are still countries that are determined to make a stand against greenhouse gases.

Germany has stated that they will aim to cut greenhouse gases by 40 percent by 2020, even though their is a general EU target of a 30 percent reduction.

"Germany has a firm target that the government has even spelled out in its coalition agreement to cut its emissions by 40 percent," said Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

"That's unconditional. Germany will continue to be a driving force. Copenhagen was a setback. There was no deal. But maybe we can use the shock from that to overcome the hurdles in front of us."

However the latest C02 reduction figures have reinvigorated environmental groups, who feel that countries should follow suit.

Speaking to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Bryony Worthington, director of climate campaign group Sandbag said, "This new information makes it clearer than ever that the EU must increase its climate ambitions. Caps are now sitting above emissions and we are already over halfway towards meeting the caps that have been set for 2020."

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