Articles

Complex challenges in an interconnected world

Marie Jaegly — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:10:00 +0200

One of the main conclusions in EEA's flagship report, SOER 2010, appears obvious: 'environmental challenges are complex and can't be understood in isolation'.

Renewable energy 2000 to 2010 — from toddler to teen

Marie Jaegly — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 09:00:00 +0100

The renewable energy sector has developed a lot the last ten years — a largely ignored toddler has become a wilful teenager. Decisions that can help it mature further will depend on understanding what has nurtured its growth so far.

Europe's water: efficient use is a must

Gülcin KARADENIZ — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:50:00 +0200

Clean water is a natural resource vital not only for life on Earth but also for the wellbeing of our societies and economy. However, in many parts of Europe, this valuable resource is coming under increasing pressure, often seen in the form of over-exploitation and pollution.

Makes ‘business sense’?

Nicole Kobosil — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0200

From small enterprises to multinationals, many companies are looking for ways to retain or increase their market shares. In times of tough global competition, the pursuit of sustainability suggests much more than ‘greening’ the corporate image and cutting down production costs. It might mean new lines of business.

Cutting deficits and protecting the environment

Gülcin KARADENIZ — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:37:04 +0100

Europeans consume more natural resources than Europe’s environment can produce. Our consumption undermines the capacity of European ecosystems to provide goods and services and puts severe strain on the global environment.

Greening our economy

Nicole Kobosil — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0200

Most people will remember 2011 as a year of financial turmoil, the Japanese earthquake tsunami nuclear disaster, country bailouts in Europe and mass protests linked to the Arab Spring, the Occupy Wall Street movement and the Spanish Indignados. Only a few will remember that it was also the year scientists discovered more than 18 000 new species living on our planet. Even fewer can name one species that was declared extinct.

Tackling climate change requires a shift to a resource efficient, low carbon and green economy

Gülcin KARADENIZ — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Climate change is happening. The current global average temperature is already about 0.7-0.8 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level. Even if greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations had stabilized in the year 2000, temperatures are predicted to increase by 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of the 21st century.

Water for agriculture

Gülcin KARADENIZ — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:00:00 +0200

We need food and we need clean freshwater to produce our food. With growing demand from human activities on the one hand and climate change on the other, many regions especially in the south struggle to find enough freshwater to meet their needs. How can we continue growing food without letting nature go thirsty for clean water? A more efficient use of water in agriculture would certainly help.

The time is ripe for green accounting

Marie Jaegly — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:29:08 +0200

The shortcomings of GDP as a measure of economic and social wellbeing have been recognised for decades. Now the economic and environmental crises have created the political momentum for a radical revision of national accounting methods.