Air and noise pollution, the impacts of climate change such as heatwaves, and exposure to dangerous chemicals cause ill health in Europe. Poor quality environments contribute to 13 % (one in every eight) of deaths, according to an assessment of the European Environment Agency (EEA). Improving the health and well-being of European citizens is more… [Read more]
Circular economy can contribute substantially to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Greater circularity and more efficient use of materials present new opportunities for further reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Together, European countries have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions significantly since 1990. Achieving climate neutrality by 2050, however, will demand additional and long-lasting climate mitigation strategies. With materials management accounting for up to two thirds of global greenhouse gas… [Read more]
Connecting protected areas with green infrastructure strengthens Europe’s ecosystems
The European Union’s (EU) network of protected sites, Natura 2000, could be further connected with green infrastructure to create a trans-European nature network. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, highways and other infrastructure currently disconnect about 15 % of the Natura 2000 sites from other nature areas, reducing their capacity for… [Read more]
Need for circular economy models: longer-lasting electronics benefit environment, climate and circular economy
Extending the lifetime and delaying obsolescence of electronics can significantly reduce their environmental and climate impacts and contribute to meeting the European Union’s (EU) environment, climate and circular economy objectives. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, smartphones, televisions, washing machines and vacuum cleaners all are used on average for shorter periods than both… [Read more]
EEA: Bio-waste great potential for circular economy
Bio-waste is one of the key waste streams in Europe and holds great potential for the circular economy, delivering valuable soil-improving material and fertiliser as well as biogas, a source of renewable energy. According to the European Environment Agency’s report Bio-waste in Europe — turning challenges into opportunities’, reducing and using bio-waste could cut emissions, improve… [Read more]
EU environmental legislation pays off: high quality of Europe’s bathing water
According to the 2019 European bathing water quality assessment, the quality of Europe’s bathing water remains high. Just under 85 % of swimming sites across Europe monitored in 2019 met the European Union’s highest and most stringent ‘excellent’ quality standards. The results published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission give a good… [Read more]
EEA: EU greenhouse gas emissions kept decreasing in 2018, largest reductions in energy sector
The European Union (EU) cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 23.2 % from 1990 to 2018, according to latest official data, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Over this period, the EU’s contribution to global emissions is estimated to have decreased from 15 % to 8 %. The official data submitted to the United Nations Framework… [Read more]
EEA: Complex network of European and global developments impacts sustainability
A wide variety of rapid and long-term societal developments in Europe and globally have important effects on the environment in Europe. The EEA (European Environment Agency) report ‘Drivers of change of relevance for Europe’s environment and sustainability’ provides an in-depth characterisation of developments that range from demographic shifts to leaps in technological innovation and from… [Read more]
Meteorological and hydrological droughts in Europe
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) recently published an assessment of indicators on meteorological and hydrological droughts in Europe. The key findings are that: Drought is a recurrent feature of the European climate that affects considerable fractions of the European population each year. The frequency and severity of meteorological and hydrological droughts have increased in most… [Read more]
EEA/FOEN Report: Europe’s environmental footprints exceed several safe limits
Global sustainability challenges increasingly raise concerns about the stability of the Earth system that supports all life on our planet. A joint study (April 2020) by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), focuses on four critical elements of that system, such as the nitrogen cycle and changes… [Read more]