Monday October 1st 2012

An overview of Europe’s ecological balance sheet and prospects for a 7th EAP

Prof. Jacqueline McGladeExecutive Director, EEA

August 2012 – 100% of Greenland's surface ice melting

Our diagnosis: this is not sustainable

20th Century

Population 4X

Global freshwater withdrawals 3X

Economic Output 22X

Fossil fuel consumption 14X

OECD

Green Growth -- more growth in Quantity?From less is more to do more with lessRESOURCE EFFICIENCY

Towards a 7th EAP

6th EAP 7th EAP

2002 - 2012 2012 – 2020s

EU27 imports and exports of materials

Europe and the environmental debt

Share of imports in EU-27 materials consumption for selected materials

Europeans consume...

10 % of world apparel output

13 % of world energy output

17 % of world meat output

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Enerdata; FAO

...whilst having a 7% global share of population

Food and drink, housing and mobility create the greatest pressures on the environment: the European picture

Eating and drinking

16 % of GHG emissions

34 % of material use

Housing and infrastructures

31 % of GHG emissions

22 % of material use

Mobility

26 % of GHG emissions

14 % of material use

Source: EEA

The successes and failures of policy so far

Greenhouse gas emissions are falling…

The successes and failures of policy so far

…but global temperatures continue to rise

The successes and failures of policy so far

Emissions are falling, showing an improvement in resource efficiency...

The successes and failures of policy so far

…but the conservation status of many ecosystems is still poor

The successes and failures of policy so far

Particulate matter and nitrogen compounds are declining…

The successes and failures of policy so far

…but many people are still exposed to high concentrations of pollutants

The successes and failures of policy so far

Progress has been made in water efficiency….

The successes and failures of policy so far

….but water stress is still a problem in Europe

Pathways for the future

An economy in which policies and innovations enable society to use resources efficiently, enhancing human well-being in an inclusive manner, while maintaining the natural systems that sustain us.

A green economy

Managing natural capital and ecosystem services: improving resource efficiency and ensure resilience

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

• Stiglitz-Fitoussi-Sen Commission

(2009) and EC’s ‘Beyond GDP’

initiative indicates that it is

feasible to measure progress

across the economic, social and

environmental domains by using

a basket of interlinked, coherent

indicators.

• National initiatives like the

Gross National Happiness

Index of Bhutan

Beyond GDP - progress

Wellbeing and happiness a new paradigm

UN report of the high-level meeting on well-being and happiness 2nd April 2012

Natural Capital

Social and Cultural Capital

Human Capital

Building capital

Imaginative capital

Thoughts on a 7th EAP

• By and large, European environmental policies appear

to have had a clearer impact on improving resource

efficiency than on maintaining ecosystem resilience.

Thoughts on a 7th EAP

Implementation

Better implementation and

further strengthening of

current environmental

priorities

Thoughts on a 7th EAP

Implementation

Better implementation and

further strengthening of

current environmental

priorities

Integration

Coherent integration of

environmental

consideration across the

many sectoral policy

domains

Thoughts on a 7th EAP

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)

Thoughts on a 7th EAP

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

Thank you!

Jacqueline McGladejacqueline.mcglade@eea.europa.eu