Between 1990 and 2000 greenhouse gas emissions in Germany and the UK decreased by more than 18 % and about 12 %, respectively. Thus, Germany and the UK appear to be among the few industrialised countries which are on track to meet the emission reduction targets they have committed themselves to under the Kyoto Protocol and the subsequent European Union’s Burden Sharing Agreement. Accordingly, Germany has to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21 % from 1990  to 2008-12, and the UK by 12.5 %.