Signalen 2018

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Interview — The Dutch make room for the river Nature and water go hand in hand. This is the thinking behind the Dutch Room for the River programme. This back-to-basics approach now serves as a global model in terms of water management and protection against increased risks of flooding linked to climate change. The most recent extreme floods in 1993 and 1995 served as a wake-up call, according to Willem Jan Goossen from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. We asked him what the programme represents in terms of sustainable flood protection.
Close up — Water in the city We often take a reliable supply of clean water for granted. We turn on the tap and clean water comes out, we use it and the ‘dirty’ water goes down the drain. For a large majority of Europeans, the water we use at home is of drinking quality and available 24 hours a day. The brief moment between the tap and the drain is only a very small part of its overall journey. Managing water in a city is not limited to public water systems. Climate change, urban sprawl and alterations to river basins can all lead to more frequent and damaging floods in cities, leaving authorities faced with an ever-growing challenge.
Clean water is life, health, food, leisure, energy… Water covers more than 70 % of Earth’s surface. It was in water that life on Earth started, so it is not surprising that all living things on our blue planet need water. Water is in fact many things: it is a vital need, a home, a local and global resource, a transport corridor and a climate regulator. And, over the last two centuries, it has become the end of the journey for many pollutants released to nature and a newly discovered mine rich in minerals to be exploited. To continue enjoying the benefits of clean water and healthy oceans and rivers, we need to fundamentally change the way we use and treat water.
Life under water faces serious threats Life in Europe’s freshwater bodies and regional seas is not doing well. The poor state of ecosystems has a direct impact on many animals and plants living in water, and it affects other species and humans, depending on clean water. The state of Europe’s seas is dire, mainly due to overfishing and climate change, while freshwater bodies suffer from excess nutrients and altered habitats. Chemical pollution negatively impacts both freshwater and marine environments.
Governance — Water on the move Water is in constant motion. Water also facilitates the movement of ships, fish and all other animals and plants living in water. The health of rivers, lakes and oceans has to take into account water’s movements across geopolitical borders. Given this, regional and international cooperation has been deeply embedded in the European Union’s water-related policies since the 1970s.
Global and local: secure and affordable energy Energy is a commodity traded in global markets. Lack of access to affordable energy sources, disruptions in energy flows, high import dependency and wild fluctuations in prices are all seen as potential weaknesses, impacting the economy and, consequently, the economic and social wellbeing of the communities affected. Can boosting the renewable energy capacity across Europe and the world change the rules of global energy politics? How does the EU’s Energy Union contribute?
Driving to an electric future? A quiet change is under way on European roads. The use of electric vehicles is projected to take off across Europe. It is a move that could help pave the way to a greener road transport system, but one that could pose challenges in meeting energy demand and investing in relevant infrastructure.
Making clean renewable energy happen Investing in clean energy must go hand in hand with energy efficiency and energy savings. Innovative solutions can fundamentally change the way we produce, store, transport and use energy. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable and clean energy might affect communities dependent on fossil fuels in the short run. With targeted policies and investments in new professional skills, clean energy can provide new economic opportunities.
Interview — Growing food or fuel on our land? Only a decade ago, biofuel production from plants was hailed as an ecological alternative to fossil fuels. Recently, it has come to be seen as competing with food production and not always an effective solution in reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. We talked to Irini Maltsoglou, Natural Resources Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about biofuel production and agriculture and if and how it can be done sustainably.
Energy and climate change Mitigating and adapting to climate change are key challenges of the 21st century. At the core of these challenges is the question of energy — more precisely, our overall energy consumption and our dependence on fossil fuels. To succeed in limiting global warming, the world urgently needs to use energy efficiently while embracing clean energy sources to make things move, heat up and cool down. The European Union policies play an important role in facilitating this energy transition.
Shaping the future of energy in Europe: Clean, smart and renewable Our quality of life depends, among other things, on a reliable supply of energy at an affordable price. We use energy to heat and cool our homes, to cook and preserve our food, to travel and to build schools, hospitals and roads. We use machines to carry out numerous tasks, contributing to our wealth and wellbeing, and machines need energy. We still burn fossil fuels to obtain most of the energy we use. Moreover, we waste a substantial part of this energy before and during use.
Interview — Energy efficiency benefits us all Potential gains from improving energy efficiency are substantial — not only in terms of saving energy and combating climate change, but also in terms of contributing to an array of other co-benefits, including improving human health and creating jobs. We asked Tim Farrell, Senior Advisor at the Copenhagen Centre on Energy Efficiency, what works best when it comes to boosting energy efficiency. He stressed that targeted policy measures and sufficient resources to support implementation and compliance are among a number of critical ingredients for success.
Energy in Europe — State of play European countries consume less energy compared with 10 years ago, mainly due to energy efficiency gains. Europe also relies less on fossil fuels due to energy savings and the faster-than-expected uptake of renewable energy. In the decade 2005-2015, the share of renewables in the EU’s energy consumption nearly doubled, from 9 % to almost 17 %. Some sectors and countries are leading the way towards clean energy. Despite their declining share of the market, however, fossil fuels continue to be the dominant energy source in Europe.
Living in a changing climate Our climate is changing. Warmer temperatures, changes in precipitation levels and patterns, or extreme weather events are already impacting Europe, and these impacts result in real losses. In a series of short articles and interviews, the European Environment Agency’s Signals 2015 presents an overview of what causes climate change and what climate change means for human health, the environment, and the economy.

Related infographics

Verwante publicaties

EEA SIGNALS 2018 Water is life Europe's rivers, lakes and seas are under pressure from pollution, over-exploitation and climate change. How can we ensure a sustainable use of this vital resource?
Signals 2017 - Shaping the future of energy in Europe: Clean, smart and renewable The European Environment Agency (EEA) publishes Signals annually, providing a snapshot of issues of interest to the environmental debate and the wider public. Signals 2017 focuses on energy.
EEA Signalen 2015 - Leven in een veranderend klimaat Signalen 2015 gaat over klimaatverandering. Ons klimaat is aan het veranderen. Wereldwijd nemen de temperaturen toe, de zeespiegel stijgt, neerslagpatronen veranderen en extreme weersomstandigheden doen zich frequenter voor en worden heviger. In een reeks korte artikelen en interviews geeft Signalen 2015 een overzicht van de oorzaken van klimaatverandering en de gevolgen ervan voor de menselijke gezondheid, het milieu en de economie.
EEA Signals 2014 – Well-being and the environment Building a resource-efficient and circular economy in Europe: We are extracting and using more resources than our planet can produce in a given time. Current consumption and production levels are not sustainable and risk weakening our planet’s ability to provide for us. We need to reshape our production and consumption systems to enable us to produce the same amount of output with less resource, to re‑use, recover and recycle more, and to reduce the amount of waste we generate.
Signalen 2013 - Bij elke ademhaling Het verbeteren van de luchtkwaliteit in Europa: Signalen 2013 gaat over de lucht boven Europa. In de uitgave van dit jaar wordt geprobeerd om een beeld te geven van de stand van zaken van de luchtkwaliteit in Europa en om een antwoord te geven op de vraag waar luchtvervuilende stoffen vandaan komen, hoe ze ontstaan en hoe ze onze gezondheid en het milieu beïnvloeden. Ook wordt verteld hoe wij aan onze kennis over de lucht komen en hoe wij via allerlei beleidsplannen en maatregelen luchtverontreiniging bestrijden.
EEA Signalen 2012 – Bouwen aan de toekomst die we willen In Signalen 2012 komen uiteenlopende milieuvraagstukken aan de orde zoals duurzaamheid, groene economie, water, afval, voedsel, milieubeheer en de uitwisseling van kennis hierover. Het is opgesteld in de context van de Conferentie van de Verenigde Naties over duurzame ontwikkeling — Rio 2012. In de uitgave van dit jaar wordt een indruk gegeven van de wijze waarop consumenten, op de toekomst gerichte ondernemingen en beleidsmakers een verschil kunnen maken door nieuwe technologische instrumenten te combineren — van satellietobservatie tot onlineplatforms. Ook worden voorstellen gedaan voor creatieve en effectieve oplossingen voor het behoud van het milieu.
SIGNALEN 2011 - Globalisering, het milieu en jij Elk jaar brengt het Europees Milieuagentschap (EMA) Signalen uit, dat artikelen met momentopnames bevat van vraagstukken die het komende jaar van belang zullen zijn voor zowel het debat over milieubeleid als voor het bredere publiek.
EMA-SIGNALEN 2010 - Biodiversiteit, klimaatverandering en jij (NL) Signalen neemt ons dit jaar mee op een reis langs de loop van het water, van de alpengletsjers naar de permafrost van het noordpoolgebied en de delta van de Ganges. Wij reizen naar vertrouwde en naar afgelegen plaatsen om te kijken hoe wij onze relatie met cruciale onderdelen van het dagelijks leven weer kunnen opbouwen: water, bodem, lucht en de dieren en planten die de weefselstructuur van het leven op aarde vormen.
EMA-Signalen 2009, belangrijke milieuvraagstukken voor Europa

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/nl/ema-signalen/signalen-2017 or scan the QR code.

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