Charting progress on the European Green Deal: A mixed outlook
EEA report highlights achievements and challenges ahead
The European Green Deal, a policy initiative by the European Union (EU), sets a path towards a sustainable and climate-neutral future by 2050. However, the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) report on the EU’s 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) presents a nuanced view of this journey, highlighting both the progress made and challenges to overcome.
EEA’s recent report is pivotal as it evaluates progress against the crucial objectives of the 8th EAP, a key element of the Green Deal. Alarmingly, the findings indicate that the EU might miss several of its 2030 environmental targets. The report particularly highlights shortcomings in reducing environmental and climate impact from production and consumption, with goals related to energy consumption, circular material use, and organic farming lagging behind the set ambitions for 2030.
Despite these challenges, the report isn't all gloomy. It identifies areas where the EU shows promising progress, such as the likely growth of the green economy sector and a reduction in premature deaths due to air pollution. These positive trends demonstrate that some 8th EAP goals, particularly those aligning with the zero-pollution action plan, are well within reach.
The EEA stresses the need for more robust action from Member States, calling for enhanced implementation of existing laws, new policy measures, and integration of environmental concerns across all policy areas. With several targets requiring a much faster pace of progress than seen in the last decade, the report underscores the urgency for accelerated efforts. The role of open data in this context is vital, providing transparency and accountability for these actions, and enabling evidence-based policy making. It serves as a cornerstone for reaching the Green Deal's ambitious objectives efficiently and effectively. Learn more about the impact of open data on the European Green Deal in the webinar: Stories of use cases: Open data for the European Green Deal.
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