Greece posts EU’s top cuts in CO2 fuel emissions in 2020

Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion dropped 10% in the European Union last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to estimates from the EU’s statistical office.

Eurostat said in a statement on Friday that emissions fell in all of the EU’s 27 member-nations compared to 2019 as governments imposed lockdown measures to slow the spread of the virus.

Greece recorded the largest decrease (-18.7%), followed by Estonia (-18.1%), Luxembourg (-17.9%), Spain (-16.2%) and Denmark (-14.8%). The countries with the smallest reductions were Malta (-1%), Hungary (-1.7%), Ireland (-2.6%) and Lithuania (-2.6%). Eurostat said the sources of the cutbacks varied.

“The largest decreases were seen for all types of coals. The consumption of oil and oil products also decreased in almost all member-states, while natural gas consumption decreased only in 15 member-states and increased or stayed at the same level in the 12 others,” the office said.

[AP]