“Do you consider community policies to be sufficient?” “Is it only an implementation problem?” These questions from MEP Jutta Paulus (Greens/EFA, German) are directed to the Director of the European Environment Agency, Leena Ylä-Mononen, who presented the findings of the seventh report on the state of the environment (see EUROPE 13719/6) to the Members of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee on Monday, 13 October.
The EEA’s findings are unequivocal. Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. 80% of species and habitats are in a poor or even critical state. Global warming has a “very real” economic impact on Europe’s citizens, with an estimated loss of €2.4 trillion if warming exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius. And this at a time when “many regions in Europe have a very low level of protection against climate change”, warned Leena Ylä-Mononen, who insisted on the fact that in Slovenia, in 2023, flood-related losses represented more than 16% of GDP.
To achieve results, the EU will need to “build resilience and step up investment in climate change and early warning”. The head of the EEA stressed the need to develop the circular economy, while consumption remains too high on the continent. According to her, “We know what we need to focus on”.
Several MEPs deplored the fact that one in ten premature deaths in the EU is still linked to pollution. In line with the EEA Director’s calls to develop the circular economy, MEP Thomas Bajada (S&D, Maltese) added that by doubling the human use of circular materials, it would be possible to “limit the impact on the climate by 50%”.
The European Commission and its agenda to simplify environmental legislation (see EUROPE 13721/9) were the target of Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew Europe, Dutch), who warned that “the economic losses linked to the destruction of nature and natural elements are ten times higher than what we are trying to gain”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)