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Environmental Indicator Report 2012
Meeting on Environmental Assessments16-17 April 2013
[2] Our state of environment report (SOER 2010) stresses a familiar message: there has been progress, but not enough
‘Environmental policy has delivered substantial
improvements […] however, major environmental
challenges remain which will have significant
consequences […] if left unaddressed.’
Source: SOER 2010
‘What differs […] is an enhanced
understanding of the links between
environmental challenges and with
unprecedented global megatrends. This
has allowed a deeper appreciation of the
human-made systemic risks and […]
insight into the shortcomings of
governance.’
Source: SOER 2010
Source: SOER 2010
Characterisation
of key
challenges
Key features In the spotlight
in
Policy
approaches
(examples)
Punctual linear cause-effect
large (point)
sources
often local
1970s / 1980s
(continuing today)
targeted policies
and single-issue
instruments
Diffuse cumulative causes
multiple sources
often regional
1980s / 1990s
(continuing today)
policy integration
and raising public
awareness
Systemic systemic causes
interlinked sources
often global
1990s / 2000s
(continuing today)
policy coherence
and systemic
approaches (a
green economy?)
[3] Over time, our understanding of environmental challenges and their underlying causes has evolved
[4] SOER 2010 offers reflections on future environmental priorities - four ‘I‘ provide headings for strategic action
Implementation
Better implementation and
further strengthening of
current environmental
priorities
Integration
Coherent integration of
environmental
consideration across the
many sectoral policy
domains Inter-linkages
Dedicated management of
natural capital and
ecosystem services
(increasing resource
efficiency and resilience)
International
dimension
Transform to a green
economy to manage
natural capital
sustainably within
Europe … and beyond
[5] At the core of a green economy is a dual challenge: improving resource efficiency and ensuring resilience
Human well-being(social and human capital)
goal: enhance social equity and fair burden-sharing
Ecosystem(natural capital)
goal: ensureecological resilience
Economy(produced capital)
goal: improveresource efficiency
GREENECONOMY
[6] What do we mean by ecosystem resilience?
Ecosystem(natural capital)
goal: ensureecosystem resilience
The capacity of an ecosystem to tolerate
disturbance without collapsing into a
(qualitatively) different state.
The notion of ecosystem resilience builds on
•capacity to resist change,
•ability to retain on structure and function despite change,
•ability to reorganise following disturbance.
Concept of ecosystem resilience can be linked with discussion
about environmental state, global tipping points, planetary
boundaries.
[7] What do we mean by resource efficiency?
Economy(produced capital)
goal: improveresource efficiency
Simply put, resource efficiency
compares resource inputs to
economic outputs.
The EU aims to be a resource efficient
economy that ‘is competitive,
inclusive and provides a high standard
of living with much lower
environmental impacts‘.
Concept of improving resource
efficiency is linked to environmental
pressures and ‘decoupling‘ of
economy growth.
One of key tasks of the EEA is ‘to
publish a report on the state of, trends
in and prospects for the environment
every five years, supplemented by
indicator reports focusing on specific
issues’.
(Regulation (EC) No 401/2009, Art 2(k))
.
EEA hosts more than 200
environmental indicators across 12
environmental themes.
The European Environment Agency (EEA) provides objective, reliable and comparable information
Env
iron
men
tal
scen
ario
s in
dica
tors
(45
/ 0 C
SI)
Lan
d &
Soi
l
indi
cato
rs
(2/ 2
CS
I)
Transport indicators
(38 / 3 CS
I)
Clim
ate change
indcators
(42+4 / 5 CS
I)
Water indicators (7+7 / 7 CSI)
En
ergy
ind
icators
(29 / 5 CS
I)
To
uri
sm
ind
icat
ors
(7 /
0 C
SI)
Air pollution indicators
(6+5 / 5 CSI)
Biodiversity
indicators
(25+2 / 3 CSI)
Waste indicators
(2 / 2 CSI)
Fisheries
indicators (3 / 3
CSI)
Agricultu
re
indicators
(2 / 2 CSI)
EEA core indicators(37 CSI)
Based on Monitoring->Data->Indicators->Assessment-
>Knowledge chain .
Assessment based on existing environmental indicators;
no new ‘green economy‘ indicators have been developed.
Pressure indicators to illustrate resource efficiency;
State indicators to illustrate ecosystem resilience.
Six thematic indicator-based assessments:•Nitrogen emissios and threats to biodiversity•Carbon emissions and climate change•Air pollution and air quality•Maritime activties and the marine environment•Water use and water stress•Use of material resources and waste management
[8] Environmental indicator report 2012 shows progress in meeting dual challenge (resilience & resource efficiency)
D
P
S
I
R
[9] Examples from environmental indicator report 2012- Chapter 5 (carbon emissions and climate change)Carbon and climate
Pressure: GHG emissions [CSI 010]
State: Average temperature [CSI 012]
Sector: Renewable energy [ENER 29]
Environmental issue EEA 38 - trend?
EU 27 target / objective- which?
EU 27 - on track?
Transboundary air pollution (NOX, NMVOC, SO2, NH3)
To limit emissions of acidifying, and eutrophying pollutants
Greenhouse gas emissions
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 % by 2020
Air pollution
To limit emissions of ozone precursor pollutants
Maritime transport emissions
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Water use
N.A. N.A.
Decoupling and recycling(decouple resource use from economic growth)
To decouple resource use from economic growth; to move towards a recycling society
[10] Summing up: environmental ‘pressure‘ indicators to illustrate progress in improving resource efficiency
Environmental issue EEA 38 - trend?
EU 27 target / objective- which?
EU 27 - on track?
Conservation status(safeguard EU’s most important habitats and species)
To achieve favourable conservation status, set up Natura 2000 network
Global mean temperature change
() To limit increases to below 2°C globally
Air quality in urban areas (particulate matter and ozone)
To attain levels of air quality that do not give rise to negative health impacts
Biodiversity loss (marine species and habitats)
() To reverse negative species abundance trends
Water stress (water exploitation)
To achieve good quantitative status of water bodies
Ecological footprint(footprint versus biocapacity)
N.A. N.A.
Links between environmental challenges & global context- indicators related to status / ecological resilience
[11] Summing up: environmental ‘state‘ indicators to illustrate whether we are ensuring ecosystem resilience
By and large, European environmental policies appear
to have had a clearer impact on improving resource
efficiency than on maintaining ecosystem resilience.
Environmental indicators highlight that improving
resource efficiency remains necessary, but in itself is
not sufficient to ensure a sustainable natural environment.
In a green economy policy context, there would be value in
considering objectives and targets that more explicitly recognise
the links between resource efficiency, ecosystem resilience and
human well-being.
[12] Reflections on progress towards resource efficiency, ecosystem resilience and a green economy in Europe
Thank you
For further information, please visit: www.eea.europa.eu
Human well-being(social and human capital)
goal: enhance social equity and fair burden-sharing
Ecosystem(natural capital)
goal: ensureecosystem resilience
Economy(produced capital)
goal: improveresource efficiency
GREENECONOMY