Achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future will be a huge challenge for European society. Shifting to an environmentally sustainable society will bring huge challenges for Europe, involving fundamental changes in how it meets its demand for necessities such as food, energy, transport and housing. This is not impossible, explains a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published on Wednesday 14 March.
The report ("Perspectives on transitions to sustainability") presents five contributions from academics and recognised experts with a variety of analytical perspectives on systemic change, exploring their pros and cons.
It notes that the achievement of the EU's long-term sustainable development objectives will require transformation in consumer and production models, and these models are closely linked in a complex way to employment, investment, policies and institutions, along with rules and social traditions.
The report shows that governments will not be able to kick start and manage transition on their own, but the public authorities will play a key role and the policies carried out could play a part in support for local initiatives, such as in the setting of objectives and common frameworks to help coordinate and lead society-transforming processes and guide them towards sustainable development objectives. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)