Title: Global Warming in Europe
Headings: Solutions to Global Warming in Europe
Solutions to Global Warming in Europe
Solutions to global warming pursued by the European region include binding national commitments to reduce emissions, the multi-national cap-and-trade program known as the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme, and strong supports for its renewable energy and energy efficiency industries.
Learn More

Content: Global Warming in Europe
Solutions to Global Warming in Europe
Solutions to global warming pursued by the European region include binding national commitments to reduce emissions, the multi-national cap-and-trade program known as the European Union's Emission Trading Scheme, and strong supports for its renewable energy and energy efficiency industries. The European region, encompassing 52 countries, bears a significant responsibility for its historical contributions to global warming pollution. This region is home to six of the top 20 annual global CO2 emitters, including Russia, which ranks third globally (using 2008 data). The European Region, however, is also home to a robust renewable energy sector and has achieved deep renewable energy penetration. In 2009 alone, the deployment of renewable energy resources enabled the EU to reduce its CO2 emissions by about 7 percent against 1990 levels. Furthermore, nearly 20 percent of electricity in the EU in 2009 came from renewable sources. Many European countries appear to be on a path of reducing emissions and increasing efficiencies and renewable energy—given this region's historical and current emissions, these actions are urgently needed. European Union Climate Commitments and Progress. In 2006, the European Union (EU), which consists of 27 members, committed to reducing its global warming emissions by at least 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2020, to consuming 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and to reducing its primary energy use by 20 percent from projected levels through increased energy efficiency. 1 The EU has also committed to spending $375 billion a year to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.