Europe has made "significant progress" in cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air pollution, but the environmental outlook "poses major risks", including for the continent's economy, a report from the European Environment Agency found today.
"The outlook for most environmental trends is concerning and poses major risks to Europe's economic prosperity, security and quality of life", the agency said. "The overall state of Europe's environment is not good", and the "impacts of accelerating climate change are also an urgent challenge", it added.
The EU has shown leadership in mitigating climate change, mostly by reducing fossil fuel use and ramping up renewable energy, the report found. The bloc cut GHG emissions by 37pc over 1990-2023 and projections put it on track to reach its 2030 goal of 55pc GHG cuts from 1990 levels.
But more investment is needed to speed renewable energy deployment, as well as the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, the agency said. It noted progress in the EU's industrial sector — which reduced GHGs by over 35pc from 2005-23 — but warned that hydrogen and "large scale electrification" are needed for further decarbonisation.
The "greatest challenges" are around Europe's biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, the agency said. The EU's carbon sink related to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) "has declined by about 30pc compared to the last decade", it noted. This is partly due to the increasing effects of climate change, including fires and droughts. The bloc has outlined a carbon management strategy which would play a substantial role in the European Commission's proposed 2040 climate target, of 90pc GHG cuts from 1990 levels. But soil degradation and a smaller natural carbon sink may hinder these aims.
The report also recommended a focus on adaptation — adjusting to the effects of climate change where possible. Europe is the fastest-warming continent and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Extreme weather and climate events caused economic losses of assets estimated at €738bn ($866bn) in the EU over 1980-2023, with €162bn of this from 2021-23 alone, the report found. The "insurance protection gap across Europe is substantial", with "most countries" reporting over 50pc of losses as uninsured, the agency said.
The EU has yet to submit its climate plan — known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC) — with a 2035 target to UN climate body the UNFCCC. It agreed earlier this month only on a "statement of intent" with an "indicative" 2035 GHG target. And European parliament's environment committee delayed a planned vote on the 2040 target.
