Around 57 percent of the electricity we generate in 2007 comes from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. This process releases carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas (GHG). E.ON is responsible for 0.44 percent of global CO₂ emissions caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, which is why climate protection is one of our priorities. We want and have to reduce the amount of CO₂ we emit per kilowatt-hour of electricity we generate.

The first action we’ve taken has already had a positive effect. Over the past 18 years, we’ve reduced the carbon intensity of our generation fleet by about 30 percent, from 720 grams of CO₂ per kilowatt-hour in 2007 to 500 grams in 2007. Our carbon emissions fell particularly sharply between 2000 and 2001 and between 2003 and 2004, primarily due to efficiency- enhancement measures, the sale or closure of inefficient power plants and the expansion of our renewables capacity.

 

But we don’t intend to stop there. That’s why we set a long-term emission-reduction target in 2007. By 2030, we aim to cut our CO₂ emissions to 360 grams per kWh of electricity generated (0.36 t/MWh), half of our figure for 1990.

 

The Nordic market unit has made particularly good progress in reducing the carbon intenstiy: it was once again able to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Nordic’s CO₂ emissions fell from 0.14 metric tons per MWh in 2003 to 0.01 in 2007. This is mainly due to Nordic’s commitment to nuclear, hydroelectric and renewable energies.

In 2007, E.ON emitted 121.3 million tons of CO₂, which represents an increase of 8.6 million tons compared to the previous year. Our Central Europe market unit’s CO₂ emissions rose in 2007 due to an overall increase in electricity generation as well as a rise in the percentage of coal-fired generation. The market unit U.K. also increased the power output and operated some fossil plants on higher loads than in 2006. The market unit Pan-European Gas’s CO₂ emissions in connection with the distribution of natural gas were 0.4 million tons.