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Air pollution: agriculture and transport emissions continue to pose problems in meeting agreed limits
News 09 Jul 2018Emissions from agriculture and transport continue to pose problems for European Union Member States in meeting EU and United Nations air pollution limits, according to updated data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today. While emissions of most air pollutants remain on a downward trend, ammonia emissions continued to rise in 2016.
Countries give only limited information on the results of their policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
News 05 Jul 2018Most national policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Europe target energy consumption and energy supply, while economic and regulatory instruments are the most common means of cutting emissions, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today. The report also reveals that EU Member States report the actual effects and costs for only a small number of their policies and measures.
Despite progress in improving the quality of Europe’s lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwater sources, pollution, structures like dams, and over-abstraction remain top threats to their long-term health. A vast majority of Europe’s water bodies still fail to meet the European Union’s minimum target for ‘good status’, according to a European Environment Agency ‘state of water’ report published today.
Reuse of products can reduce material demand and prevent waste, which are important aspects of EU waste policy and essential for achieving a circular economy. However, current approaches to promote reuse in Member States are diverse and rely mostly on voluntary arrangements, according to a European Environment Agency report, published today. While reuse is an established market model for some products, such as cars, similar practices are still in their infancy for most other product groups.
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The European Commission has recently adopted a package of legal proposals to boost sustainable finance in the European Union (EU). The Commission’s proposals build upon recommendations by the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, composed of experts from civil society, the finance sector, academia and European and international institutions. We spoke to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) representative in the Expert Group, Andreas Barkman, who works on strategic advice on climate change and energy issues.
Environmental change: knowledge is key to mitigating impacts on people and nature
Article 15 Jun 2018Environmental policy making is not an easy task. On the one hand, Europeans want to enjoy the benefits a well-functioning economy provides. On the other, there are significant environmental and health costs attached to our lifestyle choices. A systemic understanding of how nature, economy and human health are connected is essential for identifying the best policy options available. The European Environment Agency aims to support policy making by providing exactly this kind of knowledge.
Europe collects increasingly more data, enhancing our understanding of the environment. Earth observation data obtained through the European Union’s Copernicus programme presents new challenges and opportunities to improve our environmental knowledge. Combining up-to-date Copernicus data with our existing knowledge base, the European Environment Agency (EEA) aims to empower policy makers and citizens across Europe in taking measures to address local, national and global challenges.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) recently published its annual Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TERM) report, which this year focused on aviation and shipping. The two sectors are growing rapidly, which also has an impact on the environment, notably emissions. We asked Anke Lükewille, EEA expert on air pollution, to explain the key points of this year’s TERM report.
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Under the European Union’s (EU) Air Quality Directive, Member States have to implement and report on the measures they put in place in areas where air quality limit and target values are exceeded. This briefing provides an overview of the different types of abatement measures reported. It focuses mainly on measures designed to reduce people’s exposure to the two air pollutants that most commonly exceed air quality standards: particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). In general, the road transport sector is the largest contributor to total nitrogen dioxide emissions in the EU, while fuel combustion in the commercial, institutional and households sector is the largest contributor to total primary particulate matter emissions, particularly in some eastern European countries. Most reported measures address the road transport sector.
Air pollution is a key environmental and social issue, the management and mitigation of which pose multiple challenges. It is the single largest environmental risk to human health in Europe, causing respiratory problems and shortening lifespans. Air pollution also affects ecosystems through, for example, the eutrophication of sensitive areas and the effect of ozone on vegetation. In addition, air pollution has negative impacts on the built environment and several atmospheric pollutants contribute to climate change (EEA, 2017).
Information reported to the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that more than 1 500 national policies and measures have either been adopted, implemented or are being planned in the European Union (EU) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve climate change and energy targets. However, quantitative evidence on the effectiveness and costs of these measures remains insufficiently reported. This briefing presents an overview of the main characteristics of these policies and measures, such as their status, main objectives, type and estimated effects. This information is also made available online by the EEA.
This document is the annual European Union (EU) emission inventory report under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention) (UNECE, 1979). The report and its accompanying data constitute the official submission by the European Commission on behalf of the EU as a Party to the Executive Secretary of UNECE. The European Environment Agency (EEA) compiled the report in cooperation with the EU Member States and the European Commission.
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Environmental policy making is not an easy task. On the one hand, Europeans want to enjoy the benefits a well-functioning economy provides. On the other, there are significant environmental and ...
