Report sheds light on EU emissions reduction

New report highlights low-cost emissions reduction for Europe

The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research has released a report suggesting that the European Union can cut its carbon emissions significantly through "low-cost" measures. Reducing carbon emissions has become a priority for the European Union, but efforts to accomplish this goal have been slow going. Many European countries are concerned with the costs associated with reducing their emissions and have opted to avoid the issue to some degree for the sake of economic stability.

EU emissions targets prove to be a divisive issue

The European Commission has been pushing for new climate targets to replace those that are set for 2020. The new targets are meant to account for the advances made in clean technology and the dropping cost of renewable energy in general. The European Commission intends to accelerate the rate at which carbon emissions are being reduces, but some European countries, such as Brussels, have suggested that increasing emissions reduction targets would be a costly matter.

European Union may be able to reach goals with existing technology

According to the report from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the European Union does not need to invest in new technologies in order to reach its emissions reduction goals by 2020. Some EU member states had suggested that new technologies were needed in order to reach these goals, claiming that the development and widespread adoption of these technologies would be an expensive endeavor. The report notes that the technology needed to effectively cut emissions by approximately 30% throughout Europe already exists.

EU emissions targets could be obtainable in the foreseeable future with existing and new technologies

The report also indicates that the new technology needed to reduce the European Union's carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 will be available by 2030. These technologies are expected to serve as replacements for traditional energy systems or make these systems more efficient by reducing their consumption of fossil-fuels. Currently, the issue of carbon emissions reduction is primarily a political matter, with EU member states divided on how to best tackle the problem for the future.