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Better awareness of biodegradable, compostable plastics disposal would help tackle Europe’s plastics problem

Biodegradable, compostable and bio-based plastic products like shopping bags, packaging or drinking cups are being increasingly promoted as greener solution than traditional plastic products for consumers. But how environmentally-friendly are they? A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today says clearer labelling and better public awareness will improve the correct disposal of these plastics so that they don’t end up doing more harm than good.

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Europe’s Eastern Partnership countries make significant progress in expanding protected nature sites

The six Eastern Partnership countries are making significant progress in expanding their networks of nationally protected areas, giving a boost to local nature, according to an assessment released today by the European Environment Agency (EEA) under a dedicated EU-funded project.

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Emissions of most harmful air pollutants dropped in 2018, marking EU progress under UN Convention

Emissions of the five most harmful air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) reduced across the European Union between 2017 and 2018 according to updated data published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The data is from the annual EU emission inventory report sent to the UNECE Air Convention (Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution - CLRTAP).

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Greater circularity in the buildings sector can lead to major cuts in greenhouse gas emissions

Improving efficiency and reuse of materials to construct houses and other buildings can open significant new opportunities to further reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today.

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Connecting protected areas with green infrastructure would strengthen Europe’s ecosystems

The European Union’s (EU) network of protected sites, Natura 2000, could be further connected with green infrastructure to create a trans-European nature network. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, highways and other infrastructure currently disconnect about 15 % of the Natura 2000 sites from other nature areas, reducing their capacity for ecosystem services.

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EU met air pollution limits for four key pollutants, including ammonia, in 2018

In 2018, the European Union met all air pollution limit ceilings set for total emissions of the four key pollutants monitored under EU rules. Emissions of ammonia levelled off after five years of increases, according to updated data released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

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Average CO2 emissions from new cars and new vans increased again in 2019

According to provisional data, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new passenger cars registered in the European Union (EU), Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom (UK), increased in 2019, for the third consecutive year. The average CO2 emissions from new vans also increased slightly. Zero- and low-emission vehicles must be deployed much faster across Europe to achieve the stricter targets that apply from 2020.

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Europe’s seas face uncertain future if urgent, coherent action not taken

Faced with the increased threats posed by overexploitation of marine resources, pollution and climate change, urgent action is needed to bring Europe’s seas back to good condition. According to the European Environment Agency’s report on Europe’s marine ecosystems, published today, we are running out of time to reverse decades of neglect and misuse.

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Ageing population, emerging technologies and fiscal sustainability can influence EU’s path to sustainable future

Environmental policies must be better integrated across all government work if Europe is to stay on target toward a sustainable, carbon-neutral future. This will be crucial amid the profound changes which are expected to happen as a result of an ageing European population, a widespread technological change, and the competing allocations of public budgets. Tackling these complex challenges with sustainability in mind will require clear, bold, long-term and future-proof policies, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today.

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Doubling recycling across Europe is feasible, for certain waste streams

There is significant potential to increase recycling across Europe for municipal, construction and electronic waste according to a European Environment Agency briefing released today. Compared to current recycled amounts, this potential can double recycling for municipal and electronic waste and increase it by 30 % for construction and demolition waste.

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