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This page was archived on 27 Feb 2023 with reason: No more updates will be done
Circular business models and smarter design can reduce environment and climate impacts from textiles

Textile consumption in Europe has on average the fourth highest impacts on the environment and climate, following consumption of food, housing and mobility. Ahead of the expected European Union (EU) strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published today two briefings that look at measures to reduce those impacts, including on resource use, greenhouse gas emissions and microplastic pollution.

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Europe's environmental taxes in decline, despite potentially crucial role

The European Green Deal acknowledges the crucial role of taxation in Europe’s sustainability transition. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, shows that revenues from environmental taxes can support transition investments but future revenue streams from these taxes will erode as European Union (EU) environmental and climate policy objectives are achieved. The relative share of environmental taxes to total tax revenues has also declined in the past two decades.

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How green are European cities? Green space key to well-being – but access varies

High-quality green and blue spaces in cities, like parks, allotments, riverbanks and coastlines, are crucial for health and well-being, in particular for the elderly, children and people on low incomes. However, a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published today, shows that access is not equal.

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What lessons does Covid-19 offer for sustainability?

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted swift and forceful actions by governments and societies around the world. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing reflects on these responses and the link between the pandemic and the environment to draw lessons that could be used in making societies more sustainable.

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EU ETS emissions continued to decline during the Covid-19 pandemic

Under current and planned measures, EU Member States project that ETS emissions will continue to decrease in the coming decades albeit at a slower pace than historically, according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing 'Trends and projections in the EU ETS' published today. On recent trends, greenhouse gas emissions from stationary installations recorded under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) declined by just over 11% between 2019 and 2020.

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Clear opportunities to decouple Europe’s waste generation from economic growth

In most European countries and in the EU as a whole, waste generation is growing but at a slower pace than the economy. However, there are no signs that the overall objective of reducing the total generation of waste is close to being achieved, according to a European Environment Agency report published today. The report’s findings highlight opportunities to more effectively prevent waste, with textiles in the spotlight.

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Cities play pivotal roles in Europe's sustainability transition

Most Europeans live in cities and cities are Europe’s economic, cultural, and political hubs. Cities face environmental and climate challenges but also hold keys to realise Europe’s sustainability ambitions. Two new assessments on urban sustainability, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today, combine several environment and climate themes, calling for better integration of policies to address the complex and interlinked challenges through win-win solutions.

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Creating a resilient economy within environmental limits

Creating a more resilient and sustainable future will require Europe to reimagine its economic model, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today. The report highlights opportunities for Europe to go further in creating an economy that can deliver prosperity and sustainability.

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Cleaner air could have saved at least 178,000 lives across the EU in 2019

Air pollution continued to cause a significant burden of premature death and disease in Europe in 2019. A European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, published today, shows that improving air quality to the levels recently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could prevent more than half of the premature deaths caused by exposure to fine particulate matter.

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Targeted measures can cut carbon emissions and improve social equality

Recycling revenues from energy and carbon taxes to support low-income groups, investing in renovating buildings and in green mobility are among measures that could ensure public support for Europe’s sustainability agenda and a socially just transition. Vulnerable groups may feel the benefit of these measures more than others, as well as from the broader community impacts of improved air quality and reduced environmental noise.

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Europe's sustainability agenda needs knowledge for action and more concrete targets to achieve its ambitions

The European Green Deal has set unprecedented sustainability ambitions for the European Union (EU) and calls for transformational change across society. To realise such far-reaching changes, Europe needs knowledge for action. This means better uptake and use of existing knowledge, new types of knowledge, new ways of creating knowledge, and, in some policy areas, better data and more concrete targets, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today.

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Innovating for sustainability

Innovation is a political priority across Europe that can deliver many benefits for society but also generate costs that are often unaccounted for. A European Environment Agency briefing, published today, looks at how innovation can respond to sustainability challenges and how Europe needs to look for solutions beyond technological innovation.

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Rapid shift to evolving renewable energy technologies poses new waste challenge for Europe

A rapid transition to renewable energy is necessary if Europe is to achieve its climate objectives. Developing the infrastructure to enable this change will require substantial resources and generate large volumes of waste as equipment reaches the end of its service life. Applying circular economy principles in this sector provides a win-win approach to address both these issues, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today.

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Cities play pivotal roles in shifting to green, sustainable future

European cities have the potential to lead the way towards green, sustainable future, according to two assessments on urban environmental change, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

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EEA's latest annual environmental performance assessment shows lower impacts on environment due to the pandemic

The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest environmental performance data shows that the Agency’s work and operations in 2020 led to considerably lower impacts on the environment due mostly to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Executive Director welcomes Slovak President Čaputová to EEA

European efforts to tackle climate change, air pollution and achieving carbon neutrality were the main issues discussed during a visit of President Zuzana Čaputová of Slovakia to the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Tuesday (11 May 2021).

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Nature-based solutions should play increased role in tackling climate change

Working with nature and enhancing the role of ecosystems can help reduce the impacts of climate change and increase climate change resilience. Such an approach can deliver multiple benefits, including lowering pressures on biodiversity, improving human health and well-being, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building a sustainable economy, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published today.

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Motorised transport: train, plane, road or boat — which is greenest?

Train travel remains overall the most environmentally friendly mode of motorised passenger transport in Europe — in terms of greenhouse gas emissions — as compared to travelling by car or plane, according to two transport and environment studies published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today.

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Climate change adaptation is key to avoid disruption of EU agricultural commodities imports

Stepping up European Union (EU) support for international adaptation, together with trade diversification are key actions the EU can take to lessen the impacts of climate change on agricultural trade, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today.

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Advanced digital technologies can play a crucial role in making Europe’s waste management systems more circular and sustainable

Digital technologies like robotics, cloud computing and artificial intelligence will help improve the sustainability of Europe’s waste management systems. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing released today, increased use of these technologies can help deliver more effective waste management across Europe, improving logistics, recycling rates and enable better purchasing and sorting decisions by consumers.

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