At Least Europe Is Trying Not to Destroy the Climate

For once, there's a bit of hope in the generally lackluster global effort to slow climate change. In its 2013 update, the European Environment Agency says members states in the European Union aren't too far from meeting their commitments to reduce emissions, increase renewable energy use, and improve energy efficiency, with the results for the entire region being generally positive.

Though no single nation is on track to meet all three targets for 2020—reducing emissions by 20 percent compared to 1990 levels, generating 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources, and increasing energy efficiency by 20 percent—the EU as a whole will easily hit the first two targets, while efforts to increase energy efficiency are off the mark.

Already the EU has reduced emissions by 18 percent below 1990 levels, with emissions falling one percent last year. With measures already in place, emissions in 2020 should be 21 percent below 1990 levels; if emission reduction measures currently in planning stages are all implemented by 2020 emissions will fall an additional 3 percent.

As of 2011, 13 percent of the EU's electricity came from renewable sources, which should increase to 20 percent by 2020 at current rates of growth. That said, six nations (Belgium, France, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, and the UK) are currently off track in their implementation of renewable energy.

While those efforts remain positive, increasing energy efficiency has proven to be the most difficult goal. Only four states in the European Union (Bulgaria, Denmark, France, and Germany) are making sufficient progress in increasing energy efficiency to meet the 2020 target. For the rest, the report notes, "current policies are not sufficiently developed or implemented across the relevant sectors…due to insufficient enforcement, as well as impacts arising from the economic crisis."

In light of the recent IPCC report showing that climate change continues unabated, the big question remains: Is this enough?

The European Union has taken the threat of climate change seriously for some time. It's also been one to acknowledge the economic benefits of moving away from fossil fuels. But the EU is only a piece of the global carbon puzzle.

China, India, and other emerging economies remain dependent on fossil fuels, even if they are also investing heavily in renewables as well. But many nations with high emissions, the United States and Canada prominent among them, remain politically aloof towards climate change. And while the US's renewable energy sector is growing rapidly, a lack of climate mitigation policies is hampering the fight against climate change.

So while the EU's actions are notable, they're still not enough to balance out the rest of the world. What's more, 20 percent emission reductions may not be enough to keep atmospheric CO2 below 350 ppm—the level declared "safe" by renowned climatologist James Hansen. We're at 400 ppm today.