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Resource conservation
CO2 reduction through thermal insulation |
The EU has divided responsibility for achieving its agreed Kyoto target of an 8% reduction in greenhouse gases between 2008 and 2012 among Member States. Germany has committed itself to reducing emissions (in carbon dioxide equivalents) compared with 1990 by 21% by 2012.
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The European Environment Agency (EEA) presented an interim report outlining whether measures already implemented or so far planned were sufficient to meet EU climate emissions targets at the ninth climate summit in Milan in December 2003. According to projections, the EU is farther away than ever from achieving its emissions targets. The number of Member States unlikely to meet individual emissions reductions, as part of an internal EU "burden-sharing" agreement, has increased from 9 to 13, with only the United Kingdom and Sweden on course to meet their Kyoto targets.
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Germany also looks set to fall just of target, achieving a cut of 19.7%. Overall emissions in the EU, despite an agreed reduction of 8% in the Kyoto Protocol, are projected to be only 0.5% below 1990 levels by 2012. If the Kyoto targets are still to be achieved, additional measures are required. Between 1990 and 2002, carbon dioxide reductions can be broken down as follows:
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Energy production:
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-17%
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450 to 372 mio. metric tons
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Industry:
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-37%
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174 to 109 mio. metric tons
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Transport:
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+5%
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163 to 172 mio. metric tons
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Private households:
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-10%
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133 to 120 mio. metric tons
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Trade:
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-37%
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93 to 59 mio. metric tons
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Total:
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-17.8%
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1,014 to 833 mio. metric tons
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Private households were responsible for approximately 14% of carbon dioxide emissions in 2002, emitting 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. There is much potential in the renovation of buildings for further reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide. Each year, and for a number of different reasons, approximately 600,000 living units in old buildings are earmarked for renovation, yet only a third of these (200,000) are modernized in ways that will conserve more energy although these measures are economically feasible for investors.
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If energy consumption were successfully reduced from 25 liters of heating oil per square meter and year to 7 liters of heating oil per square meter and year through renovating old buildings and installing heat insulation measures, the 21% reduction target could still be met by 2012 despite the current forecast.
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