COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CO2 EMISSIONS INDICATORS IN EU COUNTRIES AND WESTERN BALKAN COUNTRIES - ASSESSMENT OF THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Impact of climate change on environmental quality is assessed through the degree of change of selected environmental indicators using the European Environment Agency (EEA) methodology and the relevant national methodologies. This paper presents a comparative analysis of gas emissions within the indicator greenhouse gas emission - CO2 in developed EU countries (Germany, Austria, and France), as well as in Western Balkan countries (Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania), from 2006 to 2014. The most significant results obtained through the analysis reveal that over the analysed period CO2 emissions per capita decreased by 10% in Germany and by 20% in Austria and France, approximately. In less developed countries, CO2 emissions decreased by 27% in Serbia and by 32% in Macedonia. In Albania, over the same period, CO2 emissions per capita increased by 53.8%. In relation to GDP (gross domestic product), over the analysed period Serbia reduced its CO2 emissions by 40%, Macedonia by 46.2%, while in Albania and the three EU countries the CO2 emission levels remained unchanged in relation to their respective GDP.