Climate progress cutting emissions: antidote to pessimism

The document provides examples of climate progress to counter pessimism, noting that European Union emissions fell 8% in 2023 and the UK has reduced emissions by over half since 1990. It highlights China's rapid adoption of electric vehicles and its achievement of 2030 renewable targets six years early. In the United States, the text notes that carbon-pricing programs and renewable energy mandates persist at the state level despite federal policy shifts.

• European Union countries reduced emissions by 8% in 2023, the most significant drop in decades excluding the COVID-19 period, bringing collective emissions to 37% below 1990 levels while the economy grew nearly 70%. The EU is currently on track to achieve a 55% reduction from 1990 levels by 2030.
• The United Kingdom has reduced emissions by more than 50% since 1990, largely due to the electricity sector where emissions dropped by 75% over 12 years. Coal power decreased from 40% of electricity in 2012 to zero by October 2024, and the country aims for an 80% emissions cut by 2035.
• China has reached its 2030 renewable energy target six years ahead of schedule, contributing to a stall in national emissions growth. Additionally, more than 50% of vehicles in China's auto-market are expected to be plug-in models in 2025.
• In the United States, climate action has shifted to the state level; 12 states representing a third of the economy and over a quarter of the population have carbon-pricing programs, and 25 states plus the District of Columbia have renewable or clean electricity requirements.
• Other global progress includes Indonesia's commitment to phase out coal by 2040, clean electricity additions in Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay, and Brazil's reduction of Amazon deforestation to its lowest level since 2015.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2025). Climate progress cutting emissions: antidote to pessimism. https://climateinstitute.ca/climate-progress-cutting-emissions-antidote-pessimism/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Climate progress cutting emissions: antidote to pessimism. 2025. https://climateinstitute.ca/climate-progress-cutting-emissions-antidote-pessimism/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Climate progress cutting emissions: antidote to pessimism |date=24 February 2025 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/climate-progress-cutting-emissions-antidote-pessimism/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2025climate, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Climate progress cutting emissions: antidote to pessimism}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = feb, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/climate-progress-cutting-emissions-antidote-pessimism/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }