Eurobrief October 2009

Global CO2 emissions from the energy sector could decline by up to 3% this year because of economic contraction, says the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Delegates attending the informal meeting of finance ministers in Gothenburg, Sweden, discussed a review of Directive 2003/96/EC, which would restructure the Community framework for the taxation of energy products.

According to the European Environment Agency, 13 EU Member States are set to exceed national limits set by the NEC Directive on at least one of four major pollutants in 2010.

The G77 group of developing nations has claimed that the developed world is trying to avoid new binding commitments to cut emissions, accusing them of trying to undermine the Kyoto protocol.