EU ministers agree to cut CO2 emissions by 20%

EU ENVIRONMENT ministers have agreed unanimously to cut CO2 emissions by an average of 20% across the Union by 2020 in a follow-up to the Kyoto agreement on global warming.

But the reduction for Ireland should be much less given its rapid development, Environment Minister Dick Roche said.

Currently, Ireland has one of the highest emissions levels in the EU heading towards 28% above the 1990 rate, while the target for 2012 is 13% above.