Traffic emissions are the biggest obstacle for Austria to achieve its Kyoto targets as the country reported an increase in greenhouse gas emissions this year for the first time since 2007.

For all of 2010, traffic was expected to produce a total of 23 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the maximum benchmark of 18.9 million tons as set by the Kyoto Protocol, the Traffic Club of Austria reported Thursday.

Statistics from the Federal Environment Agency of Austria show that traffic has always been a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

In 2008, Austria produced 8.5 million more tons of greenhouse gas than that of 1990, although domestic heating, waste management, agriculture and energy gases together reduced 5.3 million tons of emission.

In that year traffic alone, however, caused an increase of 8.6 million tons of emissions, compared with an increase of 5.1 million tons caused by industry.