Highlights

Every breath we take – Signals 2013 focuses on air quality in Europe

Iben Stanhardt — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:00:00 +0200

Poor air quality can have serious impacts on our health and the environment. How is Europe’s air quality? What are the main sources of air pollutants? How do they affect our health and the environment? What does Europe do to improve air quality? The new edition of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Signals takes a closer look.

Highest recycling rates in Austria and Germany – but UK and Ireland show fastest increase

Arthur Girling — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0100

Austria, Germany and Belgium recycled the largest proportion of municipal waste in Europe in 2010. Although some countries have rapidly increased recycling rates, Europe is still wasting vast quantities of valuable resources by sending them to landfill, and many countries risk falling short of legally binding recycling targets.

Air pollution: breaches of legal limits continued through 2010 and 2011

Arthur Girling — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 11:55:00 +0100

Air pollutant emissions were above legal limits in eight Member States in 2011, preliminary data shows. In 2010, 12 Member States exceeded these limits, according to final official data reported under the European Union’s National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive.

Climate change and flood risk in European cities

Arthur Girling — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 11:55:00 +0100

Increased flooding is likely to be one of the most serious effects from climate change in Europe over coming decades. Some of the conditions which may contribute to urban flooding are highlighted in an Eye on Earth map from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Fewer summer ozone peaks in 2012, but levels still harmful

Arthur Girling — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0100

Ozone pollution still exceeded target levels in Europe during summer 2012, but the number of exceedances of the alert threshold was lower than in any year since monitoring started in 1997. However, almost all EU Member States failed to keep levels of the pollutant within targets set to protect human health.

Europe's air story told in pictures

Arthur Girling — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:55:00 +0100

Air is a tricky subject to photograph, but this challenge has proved to be a source of inspiration for the winners of photo storycompetition ‘ImaginAIR’, organised by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Berlin park wins award for its soundscape design

Iben Stanhardt — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:00:00 +0100

A city park in Berlin has won the European Soundscape Award for its innovative design which cuts traffic noise and creates a more attractive acoustic environment. The prize, presented at a ceremony in London by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Noise Abatement Society (NAS), is intended to raise awareness of the health impacts of noise and recognise initiatives that help create more tranquil environments.

Many Europeans still exposed to harmful air pollutants

Arthur Girling — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:00:00 +0200

Almost a third of Europe's city dwellers are exposed to excessive concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM), one of the most important pollutants in terms of harm to human health as it penetrates sensitive parts of the respiratory system. The EU has made progress over the past decades to reduce the air pollutants which cause acidification, but a new report published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that many parts of Europe have persistent problems with outdoor concentrations of PM and ground level ozone.

European Mobility Week 2012: Moving in the right direction

Iben Stanhardt — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 11:15:00 +0200

Imagine a city with clean air and little noise. A place free of congestion, where getting around town is easy. To move towards this goal, cities need to develop sustainable and efficient urban transport systems which integrate all modes of transport both in the cities and in their surrounding areas. Citizens can help by making the right choices.

How vulnerable could your city be to climate impacts?

Arthur Girling — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 10:00:00 +0200

Climate change will affect Europe's cities in different ways. To give an overall impression of the challenge for European cities to adapt to climate change, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a series of detailed interactive maps, allowing users to explore data from more than 500 cities across Europe.

Copenhagen beats Bristol and Frankfurt to win European Green Capital 2014

Arthur Girling — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 22:00:00 +0200

The city of Copenhagen in Denmark has won the European Green Capital Award for 2014, fending off strong competition from two other finalists, Bristol in England and Frankfurt in Germany. Fourteen cities entered the competition, of which three finalist cities presented their vision, action plans and communication strategies to the jury earlier this month.

Europe's future depends on cities resilient to climate change

Arthur Girling — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:00 +0200

Around three quarters of Europeans live in cities. Most of Europe's wealth is generated in cities, and urban areas are particularly at risk due to climate change. Europe should seize the opportunity of improving quality of life while adapting to climate change in cities, according to a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). The report also warns that delaying adaptation will be much more costly in the long-term.

Creating a quiet environment

Iben Stanhardt — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0200

Do you know someone who is doing something to create a healthy soundscape in your working environment, neighbourhood or municipality—implementing innovative solutions to noise problems or creating quiet green areas where the sounds of birds and bees can be enjoyed? If so, encourage them to apply for the European Soundscape Award 2012 which is open for submission from 25 April, the International Noise Awareness Day.

More effort needed to reduce summer ozone

Arthur Girling — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:00:00 +0100

Ground level ozone causes health problems, decreases crop yields and damages the environment. Ozone levels exceeding certain targets in Europe were less frequent in summer 2011 than in any year since monitoring started in 1997. However, the long-term objective was exceeded in all EU Member States and it is likely many of them will not meet the target value, applicable as of 2010.

European transport sector must be ambitious to meet targets

Arthur Girling — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:00 +0100

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.