All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.
See all EU institutions and bodies
An official website of the European Union | How do you know?
Environmental information systems
EN
This page lists all the design components used as building for our websites. The page mainly used to perform various technical audits and tests. The EEA Design System offers more information about our design language and guidelines for the use of these design components.
Table of contents
Table of contents (horizontal)
Below the table of contents layouted as an horizontal menu.
Standard text with image
As well as premature death, air pollution causes ill health and adds significant costs on the health care sector. For example, in 2019, exposure to PM2.5 led to 175,702 years lived with disability (YLDs) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across 30 European countries.
From 2005 to 2020, the number of early deaths from exposure to PM2.5 fell by 45% in the EU. If this trend continues, the EU is expected to deliver on the zero pollution action plan target of a 55% reduction in premature deaths by 2030.
Figure 1. EU exports of used textiles to other regions, 2000, 2010 and 2019, percent
Source: UN Comtrade; HS (as reported): 6309,6310, Period: 2000, 2010, 2019 , Reporters: EU
Note: Throughout the past two decades, Africa has been the main receiving continent of used textiles from the EU. But by the end of the period, Asia had significantly increased its share and by 2019 was almost as big as Africa as can be seen from Figure
Image with copyright info
Below an image with alt-text and copyright displayed on it.
alesia kazantceva
Video
Below an embedded video.
Accordion
Below an example of the accordion component.
Water and marine environment
Resource efficiency and waste
Air pollution
Tabs
Below some examples on how tabs can be used.
Default tabs
Below the default horizontal tabs.
Climate change is already impacting Europeans’ daily lives and will continue for the foreseeable future. Even if we effectively reduce global emissions, it will worsen. Flooding, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related hazards are becoming more intense and more frequent. These hazards have significant health and economic costs.
The EU is approaching climate change in two ways:
Climate mitigation - Preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe.
Climate change adaptation - Actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, like preventing flooding, saving energy, and reducing disaster risks
In 2021, the EU made climate neutrality by 2050 a legally binding goal, and set an interim target of a 55% emission reduction by 2030. This goal forms the foundation of The European Green Deal, a roadmap for the EU to become climate neutral by 2050.
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service
Copernicus Climate Change Service
shows 2020 as the warmest year ever recorded in Europe. Evidence indicates that this rise in temperature is due to rising greenhouse gas emissions from human activity.The average temperature globally is also 0.95 to 1.20°C higher than it was in late 19th century. In scientific communities, an increase of 2°C is often defined as the threshold for when there will be catastrophic consequences for the climate and the environment.
It is not all bad news, though. In recent years, the EU has taken steps to reduce emissions globally and adapt to the effects of climate change. In 2008, the EU aimed to cut emissions by 20% - compared to 1990 levels – by 2020. That goal was met, and new more ambitious targets were defined for 2030 and 2050.
Vertical tabs
Below the vertical tabs with dark background (aka inverted).
Climate change is already impacting Europeans’ daily lives and will continue for the foreseeable future. Even if we effectively reduce global emissions, it will worsen. Flooding, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related hazards are becoming more intense and more frequent. These hazards have significant health and economic costs.
The EU is approaching climate change in two ways:
Climate mitigation - Preventing or reducing the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to make the impacts of climate change less severe.
Climate change adaptation - Actions to adapt to the impacts of climate change, like preventing flooding, saving energy, and reducing disaster risks
In 2021, the EU made climate neutrality by 2050 a legally binding goal, and set an interim target of a 55% emission reduction by 2030. This goal forms the foundation of The European Green Deal, a roadmap for the EU to become climate neutral by 2050.
Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service
Copernicus Climate Change Service
shows 2020 as the warmest year ever recorded in Europe. Evidence indicates that this rise in temperature is due to rising greenhouse gas emissions from human activity.The average temperature globally is also 0.95 to 1.20°C higher than it was in late 19th century. In scientific communities, an increase of 2°C is often defined as the threshold for when there will be catastrophic consequences for the climate and the environment.
It is not all bad news, though. In recent years, the EU has taken steps to reduce emissions globally and adapt to the effects of climate change. In 2008, the EU aimed to cut emissions by 20% - compared to 1990 levels – by 2020. That goal was met, and new more ambitious targets were defined for 2030 and 2050.
Cards
Below an example of the cards component.
Image cards
Listing item cards
Renewables lower energy prices and play key role to reduce vulnerability to fossil fuel supply shocks
02 Jul 2026
Boosting the use of homegrown renewable electricity is Europe’s best way to reduce its vulnerability to volatile international energy supplies and rising energy prices according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment published today.
Most EU Member States on track to meet key air pollutant emission reduction commitments
01 Jul 2026
Most EU Member States are on track to meet their 2020-2029 national emission reduction targets for key air pollutants, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) monitoring check-up published today. Reducing ammonia emissions, however, remains a persistent challenge. The EEA has also updated its city air quality ranking, which focuses on long-term air quality exposure.
EU makes progress against invasive alien species, but spread continues
29 Jun 2026
More than 300 rapid eradication actions have been carried out across the EU, with nearly two thirds proving successful — yet invasive alien species continue to spread and new introductions remain likely, shows a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.
Average CO2 emissions from new cars and vans significantly decreased in 2025
25 Jun 2026
Average carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles or vans registered in Europe decreased significantly in 2025 compared to 2024, according to provisional data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Diversifying Europe's protein supply could cut emissions and reliance on imported feed
22 Jun 2026
Broadening the range of proteins that Europe produces and consumes could strengthen food security, improve resilience, enhance competitiveness and reduce environmental pressures, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report. The benefits depend on treating protein diversification as a deliberate, long-term strategy.
EEA and Eionet welcome Ukraine as a cooperating country
18 Jun 2026
The European Environment Agency (EEA) and its European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) today welcomed Ukraine as a cooperating country, extending the EEA's country network to 32 member and 8 cooperating countries across Europe.
News cards
Editorial by EEA Executive Director, published in the EEA Newsletter, no 3/2022, September 2022 It seems as if we have been living through one crisis after another — a pandemic, extreme heatwaves and drought due to climate change, inflation, war, and an energy crisis. This winter is likely to be marked by continued uncertainty, high volatility in global markets like energy and food, which will affect some countries and groups more than others. Tackling these crises, especially in the long term, requires steadfast policy commitment and investments in sustainability to strengthen our societies’ resilience.
We face challenging times, marked by the impacts of the war in Ukraine, energy security concerns, rising prices, ever more costly climate impacts and an already frail economy recovering from the impacts of the pandemic. In this complex picture of multiple crises, how can Europe deliver its ambitious policy goals set under the European Green Deal?
Cards in carousel
Most EU Member States are on track to meet their 2020-2029 national emission reduction targets for key air pollutants, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) monitoring check-up published today. Reducing ammonia emissions, however, remains a persistent challenge. The EEA has also updated its city air quality ranking, which focuses on long-term air quality exposure.
Boosting the use of homegrown renewable electricity is Europe’s best way to reduce its vulnerability to volatile international energy supplies and rising energy prices according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment published today.
More than 300 rapid eradication actions have been carried out across the EU, with nearly two thirds proving successful — yet invasive alien species continue to spread and new introductions remain likely, shows a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.
Statistics
Below animated and clickable statistics.
Tables
Below an example of a table that is also sortable on the column headings.
Default sortable table
Country | Emission value |
|---|---|
Austria | 345 |
Belgium | 8903 |
Greece | 590 |
Inverted table
Country | Emission value |
|---|---|
Austria | 345 |
Belgium | 8903 |
Greece | 590 |
Message box
Below an example of a message box with colored background and a call for action button.
What causes climate change?
The gases that humans have put into the air over the past century from coal, oil and natural gas production have become trapped in our atmosphere. can’t go to space, so it returns to earth, causing climate change and global warming.
There are three main types of greenhouse gases created by human activity:
Carbon dioxide stemming from coal, oil and natural gas burned to generate heat and elecricity.
Methane from sheep and cow farming and accompanying manure.
Nitrous oxide from fertiliser use
Because of these emissions, , and long-term shifts in weather patterns are observed. That means more like heatwaves, droughts, and floods.
Quote
“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.”
Report, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis,” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Hero message
Below an example of a hero message.
Climate ADAPT - the EU's main source for adaptation information
Footnotes
Below an example on how footnotes are displayed.
- ↵Estrada, F., Botzen, W. J. W. and Tol, R. S. J., 2017, 'A global economic assessment of city policies to reduce climate change impacts', Nature Climate Change 7(6), pp. 403–406 ( https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate3301 ) accessed December 4, 2020.
- Over the past 30 years, temperatures in European countries have increased by more than twice the global average↵
Tags
Below example of tags usage:
Comment
Below an example of how an input area on how to get comments on the page.