Emissions from the EU-15 and EU-27. Click to enlarge.

The vast majority of the decline in emissions in 2008 was due to lower CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion in the energy, industry and transport sectors. The 2008 emission reductions reflect the effects of the global economic recession which began in 2008, which resulted in reduced industrial output and reduced energy consumption by industry, and correspondingly reduced freight transport. The reductions are also apparent in the verified emissions from EU ETS (Emission Trading Scheme) for 2008, where total EU-27 emissions decreased by 3.9 % between 2007 and 2008.

This is the first time that EEA has produced EU-wide estimates of total greenhouse gas emissions just months after the year in question. The EEA estimates do not take into account the effects of changes in land use. They are based on the publicly available verified EU ETS emissions for 2008 and other national and European sources, available as of mid-July 2009. EEA will publish its methodology in the coming weeks.

These 2008 emission estimates will be used to better track progress towards EU targets in the annual EEA report on greenhouse gas emission trends and projections in Europe, which will be published later this year.

The official 2008 greenhouse gas emissions for the EU will be available in June 2010, when the EEA publishes the EU Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2008 and Inventory Report 2010, to be submitted to the UNFCCC.