Despite clear benefits, like cheaper energy and access to new resources, only a few European countries have embarked on cross-border renewable energy projects. Building on the experience of those countries is crucial for the success of future cross-border projects, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-27 decreased by 24 % between 1990 and 2019, exceeding the target of a 20 % reduction from 1990 levels by 2020. By 2030, the projections based on current and planned measures of the EU-27 show an emission reduction of 36 %, which is a rather conservative outlook in the absence of new measures. Further effort will certainly be necessary with a view to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and the proposed increased milestone target of a 55 % reduction by 2030 (compared with 1990 and including removals).
After increasing for 13 years, fluorinated greenhouse gas (F-gas) emissions in the EU decreased for the first time in 2015, and fell by 5 % in 2018 compared to 2017. This can be partly attributed to the EU-wide hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down set out in the F-gas Regulation, which aims to reduce F-gas emissions and mitigate global warming. HFCs account for the majority of F-gas emissions and the EU is on track to meet targets and phase down HFC use by 2030. It is also on track to meet its international obligation to reduce HFC consumption, in effect since 2019, under the Montreal Protocol.
This briefing assesses the health risks due to exposure to environmental noise in Europe using three indicators to measure, monitor and communicate the impacts of noise pollution on health: (1) exposure to noise above recommended levels established by the World Health Organization; (2) number of people suffering health effects from exposure to noise; (3) burden of disease from noise. The indicators are derived from data submitted to the EEA under the EU Environmental Noise Directive and will be used to inform the development of future targets to reduce the health impacts of noise.
Impacts of extreme weather and climate related events in the EEA member countries and the UK.
This dataset contains the location and administrative data for the largest industrial complexes in Europe, releases and transfers of regulated substances to all media, waste transfers as well as more detailed data on energy input and emissions for large combustion plants. These data are reported to EEA under Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU Commission Implementing Decision 2018/1135 and the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 Commission Implementing Decision 2019/1741. The dataset brings together data formerly reported separately under E-PRTR Regulation Art.7 and under IED Art.72. Additional reporting requirements under the IED are also included.
Our joint Strategy indicates our direction of travel. It introduces a new way of working together and creating knowledge — more agile, more responsive, more pro-active, more actionable — befitting the challenges we will face and the knowledge we will need in the decade to come.
Air pollution, noise pollution and the impacts of climate change are key risks to the everyday health and well-being of Europeans. We talked with Catherine Ganzleben, head of group, air pollution, environment and health, Alberto González, EEA air quality expert, and Eulalia Peris, EEA noise pollution expert to find out more on what the EEA is doing to improve knowledge in this important field of work.
This viewer shows estimates of the impacts of renewable energy consumption since 2005 on the use of fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants.
The European Union’s energy system is decarbonising rapidly. In 2019, emissions from stationary installations covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) declined by 9.1 %. Further reductions are expected in 2020, partially because of the Covid-19 crisis. However, significant further cuts in emissions remain necessary to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The auctioning of emission allowances can turn into a significant source of revenues to support climate investments. This briefing provides an overview of past and projected emission trends under the EU ETS.
Greenhouse gas emissions from stationary installations covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) dropped by 9.1% in 2019 from 2018 levels, the largest drop in a decade, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing on trends and projections in the EU ETS released today.
The arrows show the trend in relative sea level at selected European tide gauge stations since 1970 (in mm/year) based on data from the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL).
The background colours show projections of European sea level change for 2081–2100 for RCP8.5 (in metres). Results are median values based on the values in the IPCC SROCC Table 4.4.
Global mean sea level (GMSL) has risen about 19 cm since 1900, at an accelerating rate. GMSL reached its highest value ever in 2019. Climate models project a GMSL rise during the 21st century that will likely be in the range of 0.29-0.59 m for a low emissions scenario and 0.61-1.10 m for a high one. GMSL projections that include the possibility of faster disintegration of the polar ice sheets predict a rise of up to 2.4 m in 2100 and up to 15 m in 2300. Most coastal regions in Europe have experienced an increase in sea level relative to land, except for the northern Baltic coast.
The left panel depicts the rise in global mean sea level from 1880 to 2019 based on two data sources.
The red line (DMW) shows the hybrid sea-level reconstruction of sea level anomalies during 1900–2015 (Dangendorf et al., 2019). The uncertainty interval around is shaded.
The dark blue line (CMEMS) shows the filtered sea level anomalies for the time period from 1993 to 2019 based on satellite observations (Ablain et al., 2017; WCRP Sea Level Budget Group, 2018).
All values are relative to the average level of the period 1993-2012, during which the two datasets overlap.
The right panel shows projections of global mean sea level until 2100 for three emissions scenarios based on the IPCC SROCC (Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate).
This figure shows a time series of carbon emissions under the EU ETS for the main activity codes.
The total concentration of all greenhouse gases and other forcing agents, including cooling aerosols, reached 457 parts per million CO 2 equivalents in 2018. If this concentration continues to increase at the present decadal rate, concentrations could, in the next few years, exceed the peak level that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states should not be exceeded if — with a 67 % likelihood — the global temperature increase is to be limited to 1.5 o C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century. The peak concentrations corresponding to a temperature increase of 2 o C could be exceeded before 2034.
Peak and 2100 concentrations of total greenhouse gases in the atmosphere consistent with a 67 % probability of keeping the average global temperature increase below 1.5 °C (left) and 2 °C (right) are shown. The periods within which peak concentrations could be exceeded are shown by purple arrows, based on the trend of the past 10 years in total greenhouse gas concentrations and without allowing for a temperature overshoot (based on IPCC, 2018)
Europe’s seas are overexploited. Most of Europe’s marine area (93 %) is under multiple pressures from human activities, which have reached the most remote areas. The EU’s maritime economy will not be sustainable unless it is confined to the current ecological limits of marine ecosystems. That means decoupling human activities on land and sea from the degradation and depletion of marine ecosystem capital. This briefing summarises a spatial assessment of the multiple pressures on Europe’s seas (ETC/ICM, 2019a).
This briefing presents an overview of the latest policies and measures reported by Member States to tackle air pollution, as required under the National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive. It includes an analysis of synergies with the policies reported under the Regulation on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions (Monitoring Mechanism Regulation), highlighting the importance of coherence between these domains.
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