Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[klafterreith]

Do these sentences mean the same:

Europe has to reduce 8 per cent of its emissions.

Europe has to reduce its emissions by 8 per cent.


Please cpomment!

[pugachevV]

If you reduce your emissions by 8%, that is a definite number - say we are talking about 100 tons of emissions- it means you reduce your emissions to 92 tons.

If your emissions are 100 tons and you say you are going to reduce 8% of your emissions. It could mean that you are only able to reduce 8 tons of your emissions to an unspecified figure.

For example, you can have emissions that include many different chemical compounds. If you have 8% sulphur and you have technology to remove 75% of the sulphur, then you have not reduced your overall emissions by 8% .