The reduction of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions is becoming a topical issue due to the Kyoto Protocol which requires the European Union (EU) to reduce its emissions by 8% from the 1990 levels by between 2008 and 2012. The main source for GHG-emissions is energy production. Superconducting electrical machinery is starting to emerge into the market of power devices. High-temperature superconducting (HTS) windings in generators and transformers can approximately halve the losses compared to conventional devices. Higher efficiency saves electrical energy and also reduces GHG-emissions as well. In this paper, the reduction potential of GHG-emissions in the EU by HTS-machinery is calculated. The replacement of existing devices by HTS ones is considered from the environmental point-of-view. The structure of energy production for the EU was investigated and the emission data from different type of power plants were screened. The potential energy savings were converted to saved GHG-emission tonnes. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.