Mitigating climate change — key message 2

The EU is making good progress towards achieving its emission reduction targets. In the EU-27, which has set an independent target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 % by 2020 as compared to 1990 levels, emissions were 11.3 % below 1990 levels in 2008 and, according to EEA estimates, 17 % below 1990 levels in 2009. In the EU-15, which has an 8 % reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol, emissions were 6.9 % below base-year levels in 2008 and, according to EEA estimates, 13 % below base-year levels in 2009.