Ben Pawlowski
CLIMATE change is threatening the European way of life despite ‘significant advances’ in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, an alarming new report has warned.
According to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest five-yearly ‘State of the Environment’ report, Europe is on the frontline of the ongoing climate emergency as the world’s fastest-warming continent.
But while Europe is a global leader in pushing down emissions and reducing pollution, the new 288-page study – using data gathered from 38 countries – concludes that the state of the continent’s environment is ‘not good’.
The report highlights serious concerns about biodiversity loss in both land and marine environments, the overexploitation of resources and unsustainable patterns of consumption – especially in the food system.
Shining a light on the worrying condition of Europe’s natural environments, just 28% of protected species and a mere 15% of protected habitats are reportedly in ‘good condition’.
READ MORE: Spanish schools to give pupils lessons on surviving environmental disasters driven by climate change
Meanwhile, the average European consumes a whopping 14 tonnes of resources per year – far higher than the UN recommendation of 7-9 tonnes.
Water scarcity is also becoming an issue as extreme temperatures driven by climate change increase the frequency and severity of drought conditions – a problem Spain knows all too well.
Some 34% of the European population and 30% of territories are currently impacted.
At the heart of the report is a call to protect natural resources with better and more responsible management of land, helping to secure the future of vital societal functions built on nature, such as food security, the availability of fresh drinking water and the strength of flood defences.
It urges lawmakers not to roll back on key pieces of environmental legislation – and warns that a volatile political landscape, such as the war in Ukraine, has diverted valuable investment away from green measures.
Leena Ylä-Mononen, the executive director of the EEA, said: “We cannot afford to lower our climate, environment and sustainability ambitions.
“Our state of environment report, co-created with 38 countries, clearly sets out the science-based knowledge and demonstrates why we need to act.
“In the European Union, we have the policies, the tools and the knowledge, and decades of experience in working together towards our sustainability goals. What we do today will shape our future.”
The current executive vice-president for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition is Teresa Ribera, until last year one of Spain’s deputy prime ministers and Pedro Sanchez’s minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge of Spain.
She added: “This report is a stark reminder that Europe must stay the course and even accelerate our climate and environmental ambitions.
“Recent extreme weather events show how fragile our prosperity and security become when nature is degraded, and climate impacts intensify.
“Delaying or postponing our climate targets would only increase costs, deepen inequalities, and weaken our resilience.
“Protecting nature is not a cost. It is an investment in competitiveness, resilience and the well-being of our citizens. By scaling up action now, we can build a cleaner, fairer and more resilient Europe for future generations.”
The full report can be found here.
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A stark warning. Who is responsible now for follow up, translating this into real action, and what changes should we expect to see in our daily lives as a result?