The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel combustion within the European Union decreased by 2.1 percent in 2012 from the year before, according to early estimates from Eurostat released here on Wednesday.

In 2012, Germany, the UK, Italy, France, Poland and Spain held the highest level of CO2 emissions in absolute terms, all together exceeding 70 percent of total CO2 emissions within the EU.

It was estimated that CO2 emissions decreased in most member states from 2011 to 2012, except for Malta, the UK, Lithuania and Germany. The largest decreases were recorded in Belgium, Finland, Sweden and Denmark, among others.

CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, in particular fossil fuel combustion for energy and transport. Europe has been long committed to energy-saving and efficiency initiatives to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions.

CO2 emissions are a major contributor to global warming, which account for about 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in all 27 EU member states. Endi

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