Environment and health

The fourth assessment: Presentation of the report at the Belgrade conference: Subtitled movie of the speech hold by Executive Director of the EEA Jacqueline McGlade during the presentation of the 4th pan-European assessment at the UNECE 6th Мinisterial Conference "Environment for Europe", in Belgrade, 10th of October 2007.
Located in Environmental topics › … › Archive: the Belgrade ministerial conference › Videos and interviews
Expert interview: transport and environment: Peder Jensen, EEA transport and the environment expert. Transport is harmful to the environment in many different ways. The most visible effect of transport is some of the emissions that we see: we can see the exhaust gas coming out of a car and at certain times it's very dirty and very dark. It's a very visible way where it's harming the environment, harming the air that we are all breathing. But there are also effects that are not quite so visible - when we are burning fuel in our engines we are emitting a lot of different gases and some of them are invisible greenhouse gases that help trap the heat in the atmosphere to get the earth to go warmer. One of the other important effects of transport is the noise impact. Noise means that people have a hard time sleeping, that they therefore don't get the rest that they need. It also affects the animals, disturbs their life, if roads or railroads run through nature areas it therefore means a reduced quality of life for both animals and people. Finally, transport infrastructure has a tendency to fragment natural habitats for animals. Lots of animals are disturbed by roads, they cannot cross the road, they are either scared off by the noise or they can't find ways to cross these different infrastructures and this means that the habitats they are living in don't work so well for their reproduction.
Located in Environmental topics › Transport › Multimedia
Better and cleaner urban transport for Europe: Urban traffic is responsible for 40% of CO2 road transport emissions. In Europe, 9 citizens out of 10 are exposed to harmful particle emissions that are higher than the tolerated norm. Time wasted in traffic jams will soon cost 1% of the European Union’s GDP. In terms of urban transport, the European Union contributes to financing infrastructures and equipment, but also supports projects aiming at replacing petrol by alternative and clean fuels. Most cities in the EU are putting in place a mix of advanced technologies and transport policy measures, such as alternative traffic management systems to combine mobility and quality of life. The EU cooperates with cities, notably through the CIVITAS network, to favour the exchange of know-how and best practices at European level.
Located in Environmental topics › Transport › Multimedia
Giving Europe more breathing space: Air pollution has been one of Europe’s main concerns since the late 1970s. Over the last few decades, the rapid growth in industry and increased reliance on cars and public transport has contributed to a rapid decline in air quality, from smog and acid rain to asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Located in Environmental topics › Air pollution › Multimedia
Eleven Member States exceed air emissions limits under LRTAP Convention: Emissions of most air pollutants have fallen over the last two decades in Europe. But many Member States have exceeded internationally-agreed pollutant limits set to protect human health and the environment, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). Road transport, households, power plants, agricultural activities and certain industry sectors continue to emit significant amounts of air pollution.
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Decomposition analysis of CO2 emission trends from passenger cars in the EU, 1990–2008: Each bar shows the contribution of a single driver to CO2 emission trends during a determined period. The thick short black lines indicate the combined effect of all emission drivers, i.e. the overall GHG emission trend during the period considered.
Located in Data and maps › Maps and graphs
Air pollution at street level in European cities: Located in Publications
Transport and environment: facing a dilemma - TERM 2005: Indicators tracking transport and environment in the European Union
Located in Publications
Annual European Community LRTAP Convention Emission Inventory 1990-2004: Located in Publications
European transport sector must be ambitious to meet targets: Emissions of many pollutants from transport fell in 2009. But this reduction may only be a temporary effect of the economic downturn, according to the latest annual report on transport emissions from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) explores the environmental impact of transport. For the first time, the report considers a comprehensive set of quantitative targets proposed by the European Commission’s 2011 roadmap on transport.
Located in Press room › News