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The EEA's annual environmental statement report for 2021 conforms to requirements stipulated in the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Regulation (2). It contains information on the EEA's environmental management system (EMS), its environmental performance in the year 2021, and the updated environmental targets and an action plan for 2022. The EEA has published an annual environmental statement on its website since 2009.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the complex and interrelated challenges of climate change, environmental degradation and rising inequality will not be solved without a fundamental transformation of our societies. Many systemic environmental and social challenges are felt acutely in cities, and the COVID-19 pandemic showed the vulnerability of cities and the need for urban resilience.
While global food chains, market competition, industrial processes and increasing productivity have turned agriculture into a profitable economic sector, it is also one of the biggest contributors to environmental and sustainability challenges in Europe and worldwide. In tandem, the COVID-19 pandemic, recent geopolitical developments in Europe and socio-economic trends have driven attention towards agriculture and food systems. Considering these new challenges, it is even more urgent to rethink agriculture and food systems to make them resilient and sustainable. This briefing reflects on what makes agriculture unsustainable today — and the types of agriculture we may want to preserve and support.
While total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU have fallen by a third since 1990, reducing emissions in the agriculture sector has been a slower process and has stagnated since 2005. Based on EU countries’ current policies and measures, this trend is projected to continue, with only a 1.5% decrease expected between 2020 and 2040. This briefing explores two recent studies from the European Environment Agency (EEA) looking at current efforts to reduce emissions in the agriculture sector — and prospects for further reductions during the agri-food life cycle.
Food systems require urgent and profound transformation to become sustainable, both in Europe and worldwide. Social innovation plays a pivotal role in transforming today’s food systems into ones that are economically and socially feasible, and sustainable within planetary boundaries. This briefing presents the results of a systematic examination of emerging social innovations across the food chain, conducted using horizon scanning, a tool to detect early signs of potentially important developments. It offers insights into the experimentation taking place in alternative ways to produce, trade and consume food.
Long-term exposure to noise harms physical and mental health. In Europe, the number of people affected by noise from transport is significant, with at least one in five exposed to chronic levels that can cause adverse health effects. Reducing the negative impacts of exposure to transport noise by 30% is a 2030 target under the European Commission's zero pollution plan. This briefing assesses the feasibility of reaching this target based on based on an optimistic and a less ambitious scenario. Results suggest it is unlikely that the target will be met, even with the implementation of substantial number of noise measures.
Soils play an important role in the fight against climate change. Soil management affects the biological processes that lead to soils losing or gaining carbon. It is therefore important that information on the status of and trends in soil carbon is readily available to inform policymaking. This briefing presents the information on soil carbon that can be extracted from the 2021 national greenhouse gas inventories, as reported by EU Member States for the year 2019. It also gives an overview on the status of soil carbon pools across Europe.
Heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for approximately a quarter of CO2 emissions from road transport in the EU. Emissions in this sector have increased every year since 2014, dropping only in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For trucks, the primary cause of this trend is a growing demand for freight transport. It is partly offset by the improved energy efficiency of road freight transport. To contribute to the goal of a climate-neutral EU, a combination of changes is needed, including faster improvements in energy efficiency, a shift to vehicles with lower emissions and/or more efficient transport modes.
Renewable technologies create new opportunities for citizens to become energy producers themselves and to actively contribute to the energy transition. This report provides an overview of the role of renewable energy prosumers in Europe, including case studies on successful initiatives.
This briefing describes the progress made by the EU and its 27 Member States towards reducing emissions of the five main air pollutants regulated under the National Emission reduction Commitments Directive.
Buildings are important in EU environmental and climate policy for several reasons, including their greenhouse gas emissions and high consumption of material resources. Improved design and building techniques will produce highly efficient new buildings but more than 85% of today’s buildings are likely to still be in use in 2050.
Sewage treatment is an essential service that can deliver clean water, nutrients and organic fertiliser. It can and should contribute to delivering the broad goals of the Green Deal, with a key role in supporting the ambition to achieve zero pollution.
Despite efforts to adapt to climate change in Europe, the most vulnerable groups in society are still the most affected. Projected climate change, an ageing society and persisting socio-economic inequalities mean that differences in vulnerability and exposure to climate change are likely to continue.
The European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) is a partnership network of the EEA and its member and cooperating countries. This briefing presents the results of data collected in 2021 for 11 Eionet core data flows.
Cancer affects the lives of many Europeans. Environmental and occupational exposure to air pollution, radon, UV radiation, chemical carcinogens, asbestos and other risks contributes significantly to the high burden of cancer in Europe.
The CAAR is the EEA’s annual report, providing detailed information on the year’s activities, performance and achievements, as well as operational, budgetary and management reporting.
Bathing is an extremely popular and important leisure activity in Europe. This annual assessment of European bathing sites shows how well environmental protection measures are implemented, allowing people to make informed decisions on where to bathe without health risks at 21 551 officially identified bathing sites in the EU as well as 119 in Albania and 189 in Switzerland.
Decarbonising road transport — the role of vehicles, fuels and transport demand
Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990–2020 and inventory report 2022 Submission to the UNFCCC Secretariat
Influencing consumer choices towards circularity
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