Recession accelerates the decline in EU greenhouse gas emissions

The European Environment Agency estimated that greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union decreased by 6.9% in 2009, compared with 2008. This is due to the recession that affected cement, chemical, iron and steel industries. Consumption of fossil fuels, particularly coal, fell by 5.5 % in 2009 compared to the previous year. At the same time, renewable energy use (excluding biomass) increased significantly, rising by 8.3 %.