EUROPAS KLIMAT - Vad har reducerat koldioxidutsläppen?

Abstract

Scientists, politicians and media are increasingly discussing the topic of climate change. Measures such as the Paris Agreement have been taken to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, specially CO2-emissions, in order to prevent the devastating effects of climate change. Globally, emissions have continually been rising altogether with economic growth. However, between 1990 and 2018, Europe decreased their greenhouse gas emissions by 23 %. Research have been focusing on the main factors to explain the development of CO2-emissions, attempting to mitigate climate change. The main factors could be described as energy intensity, carbon intensity, GDP and population. By analysing energy intensity and carbon factor through a decomposed model, the aim of this study was to determine which of the factors that had the biggest impact on the decreasing trend of CO2-emissions within the EU between 1995-2014. The results from my linear regression indicate that energy intensity had a bigger role in reducing Europe’s carbon emissions than the carbon factor. Meaning that the reduction depended, to a greater extent, on energy efficiency and technology than on a change to sustainable energy carriers.