THE EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT STATE AND OUTLOOK 2010 Prof. Jacqueline McGlade Executive Director, EEA

What is SOER 2010? SOER Synthesis - SOER Synthesis - Thematic assessments Understanding climate change Air pollution Biodiversity Water resources: quantity & flows Soil Freshwater quality Consumption and environment Material resources and waste Land use Mitigating climate change Adapting to climate change Marine and coastal environment Assessment of global megatrends Political megatrends Country assessments Urban environment Environmental megatrends Each EEA member country (32) and EEA cooperating country (6) assessed all six environmental themes above. Climate change mitigation Nature protection and biodiversity National and regional stories Freshwater Air pollution Land use Country profiles Common environmental themes Waste Economic megatrends Technological megatrends Social megatrends Soil Land use Marine and coastal environment Soil Land use

‘It appears that apart from significant and positive cuts in ozone-depleting substances, progress in reducing other pressures on the state of the environment has remained largely insufficient – in spite of positive trends in some areas’ – EEA 1999 ‘Over the past 30 years, much has been done to improve Europe's environment. But major challenges remain for the future.’ – SOER 2005 A familiar message: progress but not enough

The challenges are complex and interlinked

Nature & biodiversity Natural resources & wastesEnvironment & health Climate change SOER 2010 thematic assessments The 13 thematic assessments can be clustered into four groups, in accordance with the 6EAP

Climate change

In 2009, EU-27 greenhouse gas emissions were 17.3 % below the 1990 level World greenhouse gas emission cuts are far from enough to stop average world temperatures rising more than 2 °C The decade 2000–2009 was the warmest on record and Europe has warmed more than the global average Temperatures are expected to increase this century by at least 0.6 °C due to past emissions Climate change

In 2009, EU-27 greenhouse gas emissions were 17.3 % below the 1990 level World greenhouse gas emission cuts are not enough to stop average global temperatures rising by more than 2° C The decade 2000–2009 was the warmest on record; the temperature in Europe has risen more than the global average Global temperatures are expected to increase this century by at least 0.6° C due to past emissions Climate change

Nature and biodiversity

The Natura 2000 network now covers 22 % of EEA-32 land and knowledge of biodiversity’s status has greatly improved Europe is slowing biodiversity loss but will not meet its target of halting it altogether by % of target species under the Habitats Directive have an unfavourable status and the status of 31 % is unknown More than non-native species are present in Europe and 10–15 % have negative economic or ecological effects Nature and biodiversity

The Natura 2000 network now covers 18 % of EU territory; knowledge about the status of biodiversity has greatly improved The rate of biodiversity loss is decreasing in Europe, but the EU will fail to meet its target of halting the loss by % of target species under the Habitats Directive have an unfavourable status and the status of 31 % is unknown More than non-native species are present in Europe and 10–15 % have negative economic or ecological effects Nature and biodiversity

Natural resources and waste

Both resource use and waste generation have partially decoupled from economic growth in recent years Recycling of municipal waste in the EU-27 avoided some 47 mn tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions in 2008 EU-12 resource use increased by 34 % in the period 2000 – 2007 More than 20 % of resources used in Europe are imported, notably fuels and mining products Natural resources and waste

There has been partial decoupling of both resource use and waste generation from economic growth in recent years Recycling of municipal waste in the EU-27 avoided some 47 million tonnes of CO 2 -equivalent emissions in 2008 EU-12 resource use increased by 34 % in the period 2000 – 2007 More than 20 % of resources used in Europe are imported, notably fuels and mining products Natural resources and waste

Environment, health and quality of life

Europe has significantly cut emissions of key air pollutants, greatly reducing exposure to sulphur dioxide and lead In the EEA-32, the area of sensitive ecosystems exposed to excess acidification from air pollution fell 80 % in 1990–2010 Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is estimated to cause some 5 mn lost years of life in the EEA-32 countries every year Agriculture contributes 50–80 % of the nitrogen load in Europe’s freshwater, contributing greatly to poor water quality Environment, health and quality of life

Europe has significantly cut emissions of key air pollutants, greatly reducing exposure to sulphur dioxide and lead In the EEA-32, the area of sensitive ecosystems exposed to excess acidification from air pollution fell by 80 % in 1990–2010 Fine particle pollution (PM2.5) is estimated to cause some 5 million lost years of life annually in the EEA-32 countries Agriculture contributes 50–80 % of the nitrogen load in Europe’s freshwater, leading to poorer water quality Environment, health and quality of life

Assessment and gobal megatrendsJoining the dots

Essential information on implementation and a step towards continually updated reporting Country assessments Climate change mitigation Nature protection and biodiversity National and regional stories Freshwater Air pollution Land use Country profiles Common environmental themes Waste * Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99

Global megatrends bring risks, uncertainties and vulnerabilities – many outside Europe’s control

Assessment and gobal megatrends Integrated responses are needed to address systemic risks and maximise cost-effectiveness Potential climatic tipping element 1.Arctic sea-ice loss 2.Boreal forest dieback 3.Melt of Greenland ice sheet 4.Atlantic deep water formation 5.Climatic chance-induced ozone hole (?) 6.Permafrost and tundra loss (?) 7.Sahara greening 8.Indian monsoon chaotic multi-stability 9.Changes in ENSO amplitude or frequency 10.Dieback of Amazon rain forest 11.West African monsoon shift 12.Instability of West Antarctic ice sheet 13.Changes in Antarctic bottom water formation (?)

SOER 2010 Synthesis: the basis for a coherent narrative to guide responses across sectors World economy ProductionConsumption Global ecosystem Natural capital provides material inputs… …and absorbs waste outputs With a limited sustainable throughput of resources, long- term economic growth requires enhanced resource efficiency

The green economy – a working definition An economy in which policies and innovations enable society to generate more of value each year while preserving the natural systems that sustain us

SOER 2010 in summary A comprehensive body of assessments of the European environment, offering coherence across themes and across scales, illustrating the complex systemic links between issues, including the impacts of global megatrends.

Thank you