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The costs to health and the environment from industrial air pollution in Europe – 2024 update

The economic costs associated with the negative impacts of air pollution caused by Europe’s industrial plants are substantial. The methods of estimating the damage or ‘external’ costs associated with industrial pollution’s impacts on human health, ecosystems, infrastructure and climate continue to evolve. This briefing presents the latest assessment of the trends in externalities of industrial air pollution caused by over 10,000 facilities during the last decade (2012-2021).

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Reported information on large combustion plants under the Energy Community Treaty

This dataset contains the location and administrative data for Large Combustion Plants in the Energy Community participating countries, as well as more detailed data on energy input and emissions to air. These data are reported to EEA under the Energy Community Treaty. Warning: Reporting countries have only recently started to report and it is expected that data quality will increase as experience in reporting consolidates. Countries will be correcting the reported data and updates will be posted accordingly. The metadata document provides further information on this matter. Data covers 2018-2021.

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Counting the costs of industrial pollution

The societal costs or ‘externalities’ of air pollution from large industrial facilities are high and include impacts on human health, ecosystems, infrastructure and the climate. Within the European Green Deal, the European Union is committed to the transition to climate neutrality, alongside a zero-pollution ambition. European industry also has an important role to play in this shift, reinforcing Europe’s credentials as a leader in ‘green’ industry.

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Improving the climate impact of raw material sourcing

The extraction and processing of raw materials are associated with potentially significant environmental impacts, including contributing to approximately half of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. In the EU, non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials, although a small subset of all raw materials and natural resources, account for 18 % of GHG emissions associated with EU consumption. In the context of the EU's commitment to reducing its share of global GHG emissions, as well as the European Green Deal's aspiration to achieve a climate-neutral continent by 2050, mitigating climate impacts from raw material production has a central role to play in the EU's climate agenda.

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Technical assessment of progress towards a cleaner Mediterranean

Monitoring and reporting results for Horizon 2020 regional initiative

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Designing safe and sustainable products requires a new approach for chemicals

The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability aims to ensure that chemicals are ‘produced and used in a way that maximises their contribution to society … while avoiding harm to the planet and to current and future generations’ (EC, 2020). Building sustainability dimensions into products’ design phase can support the delivery of these objectives. Key features of sustainable products include chemical safety, recyclability and a low environmental impact. This briefing describes approaches that are safe and sustainable by design and identifies enabling conditions, which support their uptake, and the related challenges and opportunities.

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Plastics, the circular economy and Europe′s environment

Plastics play an essential role in modern society, but also lead to significant impacts on the environment and climate. Reducing such impacts while retaining the usefulness of plastics requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system. This report tells the story of plastics, and their effect on the environment and climate, and looks at their place in a European circular economy.

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Towards a cleaner Mediterranean

This joint EEA and UNEP/MAP report takes stock of the progress achieved and challenges ahead in the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Horizon 2020 initiative for a cleaner Mediterranean (H2020).

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Trends and drivers of EU greenhouse gas emissions

This report analyses the developments of the official EU data submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from 1990 to 2018. It also provides a short summary of the results for 2018 compared with those for 2017.

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Fluorinated greenhouse gases 2019

Data reported by companies on the production, import, export, destruction and feedstock use of fluorinated greenhouse gases in the European Union, 2007-2018

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A decade of industrial pollution data

The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) ensures public access to information on pollutant releases to the environment and off-site transfers from Europe’s largest industrial facilities. More than 34 000 facilities, across 33 European countries, report every year to this inventory. A decade after its launch, the E-PRTR harbours data on releases and transfers of 91 pollutants across 65 economic activities. It enables citizens and stakeholders to learn about pollution in all corners of Europe, who the top polluters are and whether pollutant emission trends are improving.

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Assessing the effectiveness of EU policy on  large combustion plants in reducing air pollutant emissions

This report analyses how and why the EU Large Combustion Plants Directive was successful in reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and dust in the period from 2004 to 2015.

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Industrial waste water treatment  pressures on environment

This report analyses recent data about emissions from industry directly to water bodies as well as to sewage systems and onward to UWWTPs. The analysis focuses on the latest information for 2016, when around 3 600 industrial facilities reported at least one direct or indirect pollutant release to water to the E-PRTR database.

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Chemicals in European waters

This report’s aim is to improve understanding of which chemicals continue to pose significant risks to the environment, especially when they are present in water. It also looks at how better knowledge and understanding can help to improve controls to minimise harm. The report gives an overview of information about pollutants used in the assessment of water quality under the Water Framework Directive, and describes some of the newer techniques available for the assessment of water quality.

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Greening the power sector: benefits of an ambitious implementation of Europe's environment and climate policies

This assessment shows that with an ambitious implementation of new requirements under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, Member States can significantly reduce pollutant emissions and thus minimise their potential harmful effects on the environment and human health.

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Mercury in Europe's environment

This EEA report aims to increase understanding and knowledge of global mercury pollution among both policymakers and the general public. The report provides background information and context, before setting out the current status of global and European mercury pollution and the challenges that remain in addressing this global issue.

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