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Corine Land Cover 2006 (raster 100m) - version 16 clipped by Ireland country
Quietness of areas accessible at 1h time (detail). Area of Freiburg (DE)
The numer of years within which the peak concentrations levels could become exceeded are provided by the purple arrows, given the trend of the past 10 years of the total greenhouse gas concentration (based on IPCC, 2018)
The annual average concentration of CO 2 , the most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas, increased to 403 and 405 parts per million (ppm) in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The total concentration of all greenhouse gases, including cooling aerosols, reached a value of 449 ppm in CO 2 equivalents in 2016 — an increase of more than 4 ppm compared with 2015, and 33 ppm more than 10 years ago. If the concentrations of the different greenhouse gases continue to increase at current rates, the peak concentration levels required to stay below a temperature increase of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, could be reached within the next 5-16 years. Peak concentration required to stay below a maximum 2 °C temperature increase could be reached in 17-40 years. Given the increasing concentration levels, negative emissions may become important to increase the probability of remaining below the Paris temperature objectives.
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.
Direct emissions released to water bodies from Europe’s large industrial sites have decreased in recent years for many pollutants. However, industrial pollution transferred through the sewer systems to urban waste water treatment plants (UWWTPs) has slightly increased, putting pressure on the waste water treatment infrastructure. While EU legislation tracks emissions from large industries, the extent of emissions from many small facilities remain largely unknown at European level. These are the key findings of a new European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis on data reported to the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) and under EU legislation on water.
This report analyses the implementation of EU air quality legislation at the urban level and identifies some of the reasons behind persistent air quality problems in Europe's cities. It is produced in cooperation with 10 cities involved in a 2013 Air Implementation Pilot project: Antwerp (Belgium), Berlin (Germany), Dublin (Ireland), Madrid (Spain), Malmö (Sweden), Milan (Italy), Paris (France), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Prague (Czechia) and Vienna (Austria).
Implementing EU air quality legislation to protect human health and the environment from pollution can be demanding for countries and cities. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has worked together with a number of European cities to better understand policy implementation challenges. The EEA’s new report, published today, summarises key findings on the cities’ progress over the past five years and highlights on-going challenges for improving air quality at the local level.
Our planet is facing unprecedented challenges to its environment and climate, which together threaten our well-being. Yet, it is not too late to take decisive action. The task might seem daunting but we still have the possibility to reverse some of the negative trends, adapt to minimise harm, restore crucial ecosystems and protect much stronger what we still have. To achieve long-term sustainability, we need to approach the environment, climate, economy and society as inseparable parts of the same entity.
Targeted action is needed to better protect Europe’s most vulnerable populations, including the poor, the elderly and children, from environmental hazards like air and noise pollution and extreme temperatures. Aleksandra Kazmierczak, a European Environment Agency (EEA) climate change adaptation expert, explains the main findings of a new EEA report that assesses the links between social and demographic inequalities and exposure to air pollution, noise and extreme temperatures.
Water bodies have been classified under the Water Framework Directive. Blue areas are water bodies at good chemical status. Red streams are failing to achieve good chemical status. Grey areas are not classified for chemical status. The river and floodplain sediments have been contaminated with the waste and mine water over centuries. In the floodplains high lead and cadmium concentrations affect the agriculture at pasture and arable land along the river floodplains.
The map displays the fraction of sites where the maximum chemical concentration exceeds the acute risk threshold (left) and the mean chemical concentration exceeds the chronic risk threshold (right) for any organism group. The color code in the map shows the level of chemical risk, from low chemical risk (green) to high chemical risk (red).
The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on Member States to carry out a mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services (MAES, Maes et al., 2013). As such, an EU-wide ecosystem assessment was launched to provide harmonised information on the condition of ecosystems and biodiversity, and their capacity to provide ecosystem services. The assessment will provide data for the final evaluation of the EU biodiversity strategy in 2020. This briefing presents recent progress in mapping broad ecosystem types and their associated habitats at European level.
Ecosystem type map: Marine part - Sea ice coverage
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/find/global or scan the QR code.
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