Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the EU have shown one of the steepest drops in decades. Brussels said the data showed that tackling climate change does not need to put the brakes on economic growth.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) on Thursday reported an 8% fall in EU-wide emissions linked to global warming in 2023, citing a significant decline in fossil fuels and a rise in the use of renewables.

The 27-country bloc is the world’s fourth biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after India, China and the United States.