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

adriana.gheorghe@eea.europa.eu

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