European research puts figures on Kyoto protocol measures
The Fraunhofer institute for systems and innovation research in Germany has worked out figures outlining the possible energy savings which come from energy conscious behaviour. In a study carried out in collaboration with the German Oko institute, Darmstadt and Munich technical university, scientists found that carbon dioxide emissions in Germany could be reduced by 23 million tonnes by the country's business trade and services sector. Savings of 50 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions applies to the country's industrial sector, where the study highlights the sector's use of compressed air systems, which are generally low in energy efficiency, as a potential area of savings. One of the biggest savings could be from German households, which the study estimates could save 61 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, about a third of total emissions from households. 'Our analyses show that the targets established in Kyoto to reduce greenhouse gases are actually achievable. Energy efficient procedures and processes do not only make ecological sense, they are also extremely interesting from an economics point of view,' said Dr Harald Bradke, head of the Fraunhofer ISI's energy, technology and energy policy department. 'Seen from an economic viewpoint, European countries will continue to consolidate their model role in energy saving and therefore also cost saving technologies...it cannot be ruled out that European will be able to greatly increase their foreign trade with eco-efficient technologies in the United States.'