According to data released today from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany, greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations rose in 2007, continuing the upward trend of the previous six years and underscoring the need for an “ambitious deal in Copenhagen.”
Data submitted to the UNFCCC show that greenhouse gas emissions of the 40 industrialized countries with reporting obligations under the Convention rose 1 percent from 2006 to 2007. The emissions from this group are about 4% below 1990 levels, but overall represent a 3% growth in emissions between 2000 and 2007.
A subgroup of 37 developed nations with targets under the Kyoto Protocol, emissions where about the same between 2006 and 2007, or about 16 percent below the Kyoto baseline for industrialized nations. Most of this reduction, however, comes from countries in eastern and central Europe whose economies were transitioning after the fall of Communism in the 1990’s. Since 2000, emissions from these economies began an upward trend as well, rising 3% between 2000 and 2007.
The continuing growth of emissions from industrialized countries remains worrying, despite the expectation of a momentary dip brought by the global recession,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. “So the numbers for 2007 underscore, once again, the urgent need to seal a comprehensive, fair and effective climate change deal in Copenhagen in December.”
Resources:
Overview of greenhouse gas data from UNFCCC (pdf)
Fact sheet detailing the emissions of individual industrialized countries (pdf)
