Emissions of CO2 have fallen in the US and EU at the same rate this year despite their leaders having starkly different positions on the need to tackle climate change.
The closure of coal-fired power stations was the main reason for both achieving a 1.7 per cent cut, showing that the US is still playing its part in the global effort to cut emissions despite President Trump’s climate scepticism.
He came to power with a promise to revive the US coal industry but the country’s coal-based emissions fell by 10 per cent last year and about 25 coal power plants closed. They were unable to compete with cheaper gas, which produces about half the emissions of coal per unit of energy.
