What do many vineyards scattered across idyllic landscapes, industrial sites and landfills have in common? The presence of chemicals might be the answer. From heavy metals to organic pollutants and microplastics, the soil in which we grow our food and the land on which we build our homes might be contaminated with different pollutants. Contaminants are widespread and are accumulating in Europe’s land and soils. How can we tackle this problem?
A simple but powerful idea lies at the heart of environmental laws in the EU: the ‘polluter pays’ principle. This principle has been applied in the form of taxes, fines and other measures, such as quotas for pollutant emissions and the Environmental Liability Directive. We talked to Professor Geert Van Calster about this principle, its benefits and shortcomings.
We can categorise pollution by where we find it — in soil, water or air — or we can look at different pollution types, such as chemicals. Synthetic chemicals are all around us. Some of them, however, can also be very harmful to our health and the environment. How can we limit the negative effects of chemicals that have become a part of our current way of life?
Europe’s air quality has improved significantly over recent decades but pollutants still harm our health and the environment. Measures to limit pollution would improve our quality of life, save money in healthcare, boost workers’ productivity and protect the environment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pollution accounts for 1.4 million preventable deaths per year in Europe but the situation is improving and the European Green Deal might be the opportunity to leapfrog towards sustainability. We talked about pollution and health with Francesca Racioppi, Head of the WHO European Centre for Environment and Health.
Many of us are increasingly confronted by noise in our daily lives. Loud cars on the street, a low-flying plane overhead or a nearby train often bring with them annoyance and frustration. However, their impact on our health and environment could be a lot worse than you think.
Water covers more than 70 % of the Earth’s surface and is essential to all life on our planet. Of all the Earth’s water, 96.5 % is contained within the oceans as salt water, whereas the remaining 3.5 % is freshwater — lakes, rivers, groundwater and ice. Good management of this limited and precious resource is indispensable for the well-being of people and nature.
Last spring, a coronavirus reshaped the world in a matter of weeks. Many of the things that we had taken for granted were suddenly not available to us anymore. The pandemic caught the world by surprise, but, if you had asked a scientist working in a field related to infectious diseases, this was only a matter of time.
The COVID-19 pandemic provides a clear example of how fragile our societies and economies can be in the face of a major shock. Environmental degradation and climate change are expected to make such shocks more frequent and more severe. Faced with uncertainty and multiple challenges, our only viable option is to ensure that each decision we take in this critical period brings us closer to our social and sustainability goals.
We know that plastic pollution and plastic waste are a big environmental problem. In recent years, new plastic products have been introduced on the market, claiming to be better for the environment. A recently published European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing assesses their environmental credentials. To find out more, we sat down with Almut Reichel, a sustainable resource use and waste expert at the EEA.
How has the pandemic affected Europe's environment and climate? What can we expect in the months and years to come? What can be done to ensure that post-COVID economic recovery measures are fully aligned with Europe's long-term environment and climate goals? From latest knowledge developments to long-term policy considerations, the COVID-19 debates aim to bring expert knowledge and reflections on this topic to wider audiences.
How can we build a more sustainable and resilient world in wake of the coronavirus crisis? In this critical period where key recovery decisions shaping our future will be made, the European Environment Agency will bring together corona and environment-related knowledge and contribute to an informed debate.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published a report on the 'drivers of change' that impact Europe's environment and sustainability’ prospects. We interviewed the project manager of the report, Lorenzo Benini who works at the EEA as system assessment and sustainability expert.
From air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions to urban life and recovery policies, how the current coronavirus crisis impacts the environment poses many questions. We try to address some of these questions based on the knowledge held by the EEA, Eionet and other partners. This section will be regularly updated with new knowledge shared with us.
What should a post-corona planet look like? How have corona measures impacted the environment and climate? Can we rebuild our economy on sustainable and fair foundations? As we take steps towards rebuilding society opening the economy, we are faced with fundamental choices that will shape the future. This portal aims to bring together knowledge and reflections from across Europe and beyond, and to facilitate an informed debate towards a sustainable planet.
The lockdown and related measures implemented by many European countries to stop the spread of COVID-19 have led to a sudden decrease in economic activities, including a drop in road transport in many cities. To assess how this has affected concentrations of air pollution, the EEA has developed a viewer that tracks the weekly and monthly average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5).
Noise pollution is a growing problem across Europe and one which many people may not be aware of the impacts of on their health. We sat down with Eulalia Peris, the European Environment Agency’s environmental noise expert, to discuss the key findings of the EEA report ‘Environmental noise in Europe — 2020’, which was published earlier this month.
European countries are taking drastic measures to limit the impacts of Covid-19 on Europeans’ health and the economy. Such crises tend to have immediate and severe impacts on entire populations and the economy. Considering its potential to affect key economic sectors, the coronavirus crisis is expected to reduce some of the impacts of economic activities on the environment and climate. Yet, major and abrupt shocks with an extremely high cost to society are not at all how the European Union has committed to transform its economy and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The European Green Deal and the recently proposed European Climate Law call instead for irreversible and gradual reductions in emissions, while ensuring a just transition, supporting those affected.
Earlier this month the European Environment Agency published its ‘European environment — state and outlook 2020 (SOER 2020)’ report. It concluded that Europe will not achieve its 2030 goals without urgent action during the next 10 years to address the alarming rate of biodiversity loss, increasing impacts of climate change and the overconsumption of natural resources. It also offered some key solutions, which would help put Europe back on course to meet those targets. We sat down with Tobias Lung, the EEA’s SOER coordination and assessment expert, to discuss the role of SOER 2020.
The year 2019 will be remembered as a turning point for climate and environment action in Europe. Millions of Europeans and others worldwide have been demonstrating and urging policy makers to take action. Evidence-based scientific assessments, including the European Environment Agency’s state of environment report (SOER 2020), stressed the magnitude of the challenges ahead and the urgent need to act. These calls are now turning into a policy roadmap. The European Green Deal presented by the European Commission is a promising start for the critical decade ahead.
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