Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Reduction Strategies of the European Union.

Climate change is considered to be one of the greatest environmental threats. In response to this threat, developed countries agreed in Kyoto to legally binding targets, which will reduce their atmospheric emissions. Climate change, and avoiding its potential consequences, is addressed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and remains a high priority in the European Union. Despite considerable reductions in the United Kingdom and Germany, by 2000 many European Union countries had difficulty slowing and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Systematic investments in technology development were found to yield substantial benefits in the long term by decreasing emissions reduction costs and by facilitating more ambitious reduction targets. The main objective of this article is to investigate greenhouse gas emissions, trends and reduction strategies in the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]