President: Hungary’s pollution a fragment of ‘great polluters’

Hungary’s responsibility in pollution is much smaller than that of large economies such as the United States, China or India, President János Áder said in an interview with public Kossuth Radio on Friday.

Speaking ahead of the United Nations’ climate summit in New York where Áder will represent Hungary, the president said that while it was “right” to review the challenges and responsibilities facing Hungary in fighting climate change, it was important to note that Hungary emits 0.00137 percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and one percent that of the EU’s.

Carbon emissions per capita in Hungary are well below the EU average, with Germany emitting twice and the US three and a half times as much per capita as Hungary, Áder said.

Hungary has reduced its emissions since 1990 by the same degree as Denmark, while emissions have risen in Spain, Austria and Ireland, he said.

With the upgrade of the Paks nuclear plant, a tenfold growth in solar energy capacity and a phasing out of fossil fuel-cased energy production, over 90 percent of electricity can be produced by carbon-free methods by 2030, Áder said. “There won’t be many countries like that by 2030,” he said.

Speaking of the UN climate summit held in New York between September 21 and 23, Áder said the summit will be a policy debate focusing on declaring intentions and a readiness to act, but “there is no intention to sign an agreement”.

Source: MTI