Commenting on the release of the emissions figures, Dr Mary Kelly, Director General of the Environmental Protection Agency stated, «the Emissions Trading Scheme is designed to bring about reductions in emissions at least cost, and is seen to play an increasingly
important role in assisting European industry implement the type of reductions envisaged in the EU Commission's recent decisions on an overall 20 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by 2020... While no doubt some of the reduction reflects the
economic downturn which began to have significant impact
during 2008, nonetheless the overall picture is one of progressive annual GHG emission reductions.»