America pushed by accord to raise its game

Greenhouse gas emissions are on the decline in the United States from a 2005 peak. That means that the 2015 Paris accords were perhaps most important politically, in that they encouraged China and smaller nations to take proactive measures – something which the US was already doing.

The reduction in the US is largely seen as being driven by a shift from coal to shale gas in the electric power sector, as well as warmer winters.

The most recent data, from 2015, shows that they have declined 11.5 per cent from 2005 levels. The Paris agreement pushed the US to go further, however, and the Americans pledged to cut their emissions to achieve a target of a 26-28 per cent reduction by 2025.

But despite the downward trend, greenhouse gas emissions in the US are still up 7.7 per cent from the levels in the 1990s, recording an average annual growth of 0.3 per cent over the past 24 years.

The levels of methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases remain relatively stable, according to data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But the EPA statistics show increasing emissions of carbon.

The Europeans are making better progress, despite a report showing an increase last year of 0.5 per cent in emissions.

Between 1990 and 2015 the EU’S emissions decreased by 24 per cent, or approximately 1.1 per cent a year. Its aim is to hit a 40 per cent reduction from 1990 levels by 2030 and its long-term goal is to reach an emissions reduction goal of 80–95 per cent below 1990 by 2050.

Additional reporting by Jillian Ambrose