Europe needs "urgent" actions to face the loss of biodiversity, the impacts of climate change and the hyper-consumption of natural resources if it wants to meet the climate goals set for 2030.
And, in addition the current energy system will not allow us to achieve the climate neutrality set for 2050 either, points out the environmental report, considered the "most extensive" done on Europe.
These are the main conclusions of "European environment: state and prospects" (# SOER 2020), the five-year report published this Wednesday by the European Environment Agency (EEA), which talks about challenges of a scale and a "unprecedented" urgency.
"Overall environmental trends in Europe have not improved since the last report in 2015. This analysis highlights that while most of the 2020 targets will not be met, especially those for biodiversity, there is still an opportunity for the long-term and the of 2030 and 2050", says the AEMA.
EL SOER 2020 recognizes "significant" progress over the last two decades in areas such as climate change mitigation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and waste management, but warns of damage and "irreversible" changes if actions are not increased and accelerated.
In the area of biodiversity, which offers the "most discouraging" progress, of the 13 goals set for 2020, it is likely that only two will be achieved, the designation of terrestrial and marine protected areas, and if the trend, this will accentuate the deterioration of nature and the pollution of air, water and soil.
The AEMA highlights for example that between 1990 and 2015 there has been a 32% decline in bird species on the continent and considers that the impact of the loss of biodiversity is "as catastrophic" as climate change.
The current system will not allow reaching climate neutrality by 2050 in Europe.
In other sections such as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990, despite the progress, the projection for 2030 with the existing measures would be 30% and, with additional ones, 36%, below the target of 40% and far of 50 or 55% proposed by the European Commission.
The current energy system will not allow us to achieve the climate neutrality set for 2050 either, points out the environmental report, considered the "widest" done on Europe.
CO2 emissions in the mobility system are almost 30% higher than in 1990 and those of new passenger cars continue to grow; diesel represented in 2017 72% of the fuel sold for road transport, a sector in which renewables account for 7.4%, against the target of 10% in 2020.
The improvement in air quality has not prevented around 400,000 Europeans from dying prematurely each year from exposure to fine particles in the atmosphere and almost one in five suffer from high levels of noise every day.
Reversing the situation: where to act?
Achieving a low-carbon and sustainable Europe is still possible. The report highlights seven key areas where bold action will need to be taken so that Europe can turn things around and achieve the goals and ambitions set for 2030 and 2050.
- Take advantage of the full potential of current environmental policies. Its full application would allow Europe to advance a long way in achieving its environmental goals for 2030.
- Convert sustainability into the framework of all politics. The development of long-term policy frameworks with binding objectives, starting with the food system, chemicals and land use, will drive and guide coherent actions in different policy areas and in society.
- Lead international action towards sustainability. The EU must use its diplomatic and economic influence to promote the adoption of ambitious international agreements in areas such as biodiversity and resource use.
- Foster innovation throughout society. Today's change in course will depend closely on the emergence and mainstreaming of various forms of innovation that can lead to new ways of thinking and living.
- Expand investments and reorient the financial sector to support companies and sustainable projects. This requires investing in the future by making the most of public funds to support innovation and nature-based solutions, seeking sustainability and supporting innovation and nature-based solutions, seeking sustainability and supporting the regions and sectors affected. This also involves engaging the financial sector in sustainable investment by implementing and improving the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan.
- Manage risks and ensure a socially just transition. The successful transition to sustainability will require societies to recognize potential risks, opportunities and trade-offs, and design ways to manage them. National and EU policies play an essential role in achieving 'just transitions' by ensuring that no one is left behind.
- Create more knowledge and technical skills. To do this, it is necessary to focus on understanding the systems that generate environmental pressures, the pathways to sustainability, the promising initiatives and the obstacles that prevent change. It is essential to develop more capabilities that allow us to handle ourselves in a rapidly changing world by investing in education and skills.
"Europe must do things better, face challenges differently and rethink investments. Achieving the milestones will require better implementation and coordination of policies and additional actions for a fundamental change in production and consumption systems," said EEA Executive Director Hans Bruyninckx.
Bruyninck considers that the European environment is at a "turning point" and that "urgent challenges require urgent systemic solutions", which affect both economic activity and lifestyle.
