Highlights

What does waste look like? Photo, cartoon and video competition

Arthur Girling — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0200

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is launching a new competition for artistic depictions of waste in Europe. Each European generates approximately half a tonne of household waste on average. A lot of this so-called waste is actually a useful resource, but only two fifths is recycled, according to a recent analysis.

Green fiscal reform can create jobs and stimulate innovation across the EU

Arthur Girling — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:35:00 +0200

Increasing some tax rates and removing subsidies on environmentally harmful products and services can boost economic growth if the revenue generated is then used to relieve the tax burden on employment and investment.

Rio+20 agreement - a modest step in the right direction

Arthur Girling — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:05:00 +0200

At last week’s Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, delegates did not agree to any ambitious treaties or deadlines for dealing with pressing issues such as climate change, food and water scarcity. However, there were many positive signs for the future global environment.

Rio+20 – time to rethink the way we use natural resources

Arthur Girling — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:00:00 +0200

This week the Rio de Janeiro summit on sustainable development will open. Rio+20 is an opportunity to look back at changes in our environment since the first Earth Summit in 1992, and also a time to look to the future, re-evaluating the way our economies and our societies depend on the environment and natural resources.

Europe's demand for resources reaching far beyond its borders

Arthur Girling — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:00:00 +0200

Demand for materials is so intense that between 20 and 30 % of the resources we use in Europe are now imported. With the boom in international trade, EU consumption and production damage ecosystems and human health far beyond Europe’s borders, according to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

World remains on unsustainable path – UNEP report on eve of Rio+20 Summit

Arthur Girling — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0200

The world continues to speed down an unsustainable path despite over 500 internationally agreed goals and objectives to support the sustainable management of the environment and improve human wellbeing, according to a new and wide-ranging assessment coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Building the future we want – new report launched on World Environment Day

Arthur Girling — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:00:00 +0200

While much of Europe is still suffering the effects of economic recession, a new report argues that efforts to increase prosperity should not damage the environment. Indeed, Europe’s economy depends on a healthy environment, including the materials and services provided by the natural world, according to the new edition of Signals from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Do we live in a 'green economy'? New report assesses progress in Europe

Arthur Girling — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Despite progress in some areas, Europe must do more to create the 'green economy' needed for the continent to become sustainable, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Water: how can we account for our most vital resource?

Arthur Girling — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:20:00 +0200

The world is entering a period of growing water scarcity: by 2030, global demand for fresh water could outstrip supply by more than 40 % if water is used in the same way that it is today. These stark figures are the background to a new report from the International Resource Panel, a group of natural resources experts hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Rio 2012 is an opportunity to move towards a green economy

Iben Stanhardt — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 15:40:00 +0200

In less than two months, world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. It is 20 years since the last Rio conference, and Rio 2012 is an opportunity to assess the progress made toward sustainable development since 1992 and begin building a Green Economy.

Environmental tax reform: increasing individual incomes and boosting innovation

Arthur Girling — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0100

European governments could simultaneously reduce income tax, increase innovation and cut pollution by introducing well-targeted environmental taxes and recycling the revenues back into the economy. This was one of the findings from a pair of reports on environmental tax reform (ETR) published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Economic growth must be decoupled from environmental harm – the EEA evaluates findings from 2011

Arthur Girling — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Europe’s impact on the environment is still very much linked to the economy. This message was clear in many of the reports and datasets published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in 2011, as analysts were able to clearly see a decrease in various emissions and types of environmental damage during the 2009 recession.

Recycling industry can boost the European economy

Arthur Girling — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:15:00 +0100

Recycling has multiple benefits for many areas of the economy – providing raw materials, creating jobs and encouraging business opportunities and innovation. These economic benefits of recycling are examined in a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The report considers the recycling industry in the context of building a 'green economy', a major European policy objective.

Huge renewable energy growth this decade, if EU countries meet projections

Arthur Girling — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Offshore wind energy capacity in Europe is projected to increase 17-fold between 2010 and 2020, while newer renewable technologies such as concentrated solar power and wave/tidal power will also increase more than 11-fold according to projections. European countries are also expected to significantly boost solar photovoltaic power, onshore wind and other renewable technologies over the next decade.

Common Agricultural Policy reform – reducing the impact of farming

Arthur Girling — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:40:00 +0200

Today, the European Commission launched its proposals for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013. The key objective is ‘to strengthen the competitiveness, sustainability and permanence of agriculture throughout the EU in order to secure for European citizens a healthy and high-quality source of food, preserve the environment and develop rural areas’. The proposals tie financial support more closely to environmental goals.