EU Follows Kyoto Protocol with New Global Warming Agreement

In March, the European Union (EU) agreed upon a tough new set of greenhouse gas emission targets for 2020 and a continent-wide renewable energy policy much stricter than the existing Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

This new pact aims to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20% - 30% by 2020 to avert a global temperature increase of 2 °C. EU leaders hope that their extreme show of European belt-tightening can be leveraged to force other major greenhouse gas producers (the U.S., Russia, China, and India) to adopt equally dramatic reduction targets.

This story has been extensively covered on the Internet, and I’ve collected links (below) to articles that each cover different aspects the EU’s new global warming pact.

Washington Post: “European Leaders Agree on Energy Plan” (overall coverage)

Truthout: “EU Leaders Agree to Cut Greenhouse Gases” (overall coverage)

International Herald-Tribune: “EU vows 30% cut in greenhouse gas” (internal EU political hurdles shaping the pact)

Environment News Service: “Europe to Cut Greenhouse Gases 20 Percent by 2020” (coverage of bio-fuels)

New Scientist – Environment: “EU agrees to cut greenhouse emissions by 20%” (comparison between EU pact to Kyoto Protocol)

Planet Ark: “EU Wants to Cut Greenhouse Gases in Cars, Shoes” (treatment of greenhouse gasses beyond CO₂)