Monday October 1st 2012
An overview of Europe’s ecological balance
sheet and prospects for a 7th EAP
Prof. Jacqueline McGlade
Executive Director, EEA
August 2012 – 100% of Greenland's surface ice melting
Our diagnosis: this is not sustainable
Green Growth -- more growth in Quantity?
From less is more  to do more with less
RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
20th Century
Population 4X
Global freshwater
withdrawals 3X
Economic
Output 22X
Fossil fuel
consumption 14X
OECD
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...
17 % of world meat output
13 % of world energy output
10 % of world apparel output
...whilst having a 7% global share of
population
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; Enerdata; FAO
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
A green economy
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.
Managing natural capital and ecosystem services:
improving resource efficiency and ensure resilience
Ecosystem
(natural capital)
Economy
(produced capital)
goal: ensure
ecosystem resilience
GREEN
ECONOMY
Human well-being
(social and human capital)
goal: enhance social equity
and fair burden-sharing
goal: improve
resource efficiency
Beyond GDP - progress
•
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
Wellbeing and happiness a new paradigm
UN report of the highlevel meeting on wellbeing 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
Integration
Better implementation and
Coherent integration of
further strengthening of
environmental consideration
current environmental
across the many sectoral
priorities
policy domains
Thoughts on a 7th EAP
Implementation
Integration
Better implementation and
Coherent integration of
further strengthening of
environmental consideration
current environmental
across the many sectoral
priorities
policy domains
Inter-linkages
Dedicated management of
natural capital and ecosystem
services (increasing resource
efficiency and resilience)
Thoughts on a 7th EAP
Implementation
Integration
Better implementation and
Coherent integration of
further strengthening of
environmental consideration
current environmental
across the many sectoral
priorities
policy domains
Inter-linkages
International dimension
Dedicated management of
Transform to a green
natural capital and ecosystem
economy to manage natural
services (increasing resource
capital sustainably within
efficiency and resilience)
Europe … and beyond
Thank you!
Jacqueline McGlade
jacqueline.mcglade@eea.europa.eu