European Union Continues Discussion on How to Move Beyond 20% Carbon Reduction Goal

The Environment Council is now meeting in Luxembourg in order to discuss the economics of moving beyond the current 20 percent emissions reduction target. Right now as it stands, governments are committed to reducing their overall carbon dixieland emissions from their countries by 20 percent in time for 2020. However, this is a goal that some people think can be and should be improved on.

The climate change minister for Scotland, Stewart Stevenson, is attending the debate on how to improve upon this target. Mr Stevenson said that the European Union Commission will present its analysis, which shows that moving to a 30 percent target for emissions reduction across Europe by 2020 will cost less than 0.6 percent of European Union wide GDP in 2020.

He went on to say that central to delivering this is strengthening the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. This is a policy that they currently have argued a lot for. It should further boost green investment and cut emissions cost effectively.

Mr Stevenson also said that working with the UK government is essential for Scotland. It highlights the fact that the country is already leading the way with its progress in improving the availability of renewable energy and investing in low carbon technology.

So what does this mean overall? Well it means that countries in the European Union are continuing to try and improve upon their goals. This could make some environmental groups very happy since they were unimpressed by the first set of goals by the European Union. More information should come out after the meeting in Luxembourg.