The European Union is making a full-on effort to cut emissions at home, but 35% of its carbon footprint was generated abroad in 2023, according to data from the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and climate consultancy Matière.
The new figures, which show that more than one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions are now linked to global trade, create a political problem for Brussels, which is heavily investing in the decarbonisation of factories, power plants and cars even as the bloc still consumes goods whose production generates substantial emissions abroad.
