Introduction
Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats facing Europe and the rest of the world. To overcome these challenges, the European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy, ensuring that: net greenhouse gas emissions are eliminated by 2050; economic growth is decoupled from resource use; no person or place is left behind.
Environmental and climate pressures related to EU production and consumption
Achieving climate neutrality: reduce net GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
This indicator is used to evaluate the individual contributions of gas emissions that affect climate change.
It assesses the efficiency of greenhouse gas emissions in relation to the economic activity of an area or region.
Measurement of the amount of energy originating from fossil fuels compared to the total amount of energy consumed.
Climate impact evaluators
A European target for sustainable energy is set: at least 45% of energy from renewable sources in the gross final energy consumption by 2030.
Economic damages and losses caused by extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, storms, and heatwaves. These losses can impact various sectors, including agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and health.
Measurement of air quality in urban areas. High levels of suspended particles in cities can negatively impact human health. PM10 particles can penetrate the lungs and cause respiratory issues, such as asthma, bronchitis, and pneumonia. They can also increase the risk of heart and cerebrovascular diseases.
Exposure to fine particle pollution can also increase the risk of premature death.
Mitigation of climate change
Priority and effective, rapid, and full implementation of climate and environmental strategies through environmental taxes and subsidies, transition financing, and sustainable investments and innovation.
Environmental taxes are defined as taxes whose taxable base is a physical unit (or a proxy for it) of something that has a specific and proven negative impact on the environment. Revenue from environmental taxes comes from four types of taxes: energy taxes, transportation taxes, and pollution and resource taxes.
This indicator measures the share of different modes of transport in the performance of passenger land transport, expressed in passenger-kilometres (pkm). Passenger land transport includes transport by cars, buses, coaches, and trains. All data is based on movements within national territories, regardless of the nationality of the vehicle.
Favourable conditions and adaptation to climate change. Respecting the planet's limits
Sustainable competitiveness: increasing the shares of the green economy and green employment in the overall economy.
Experimental research and development (R&D) comprise creative and systematic work carried out to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of humanity, culture, and society, and to devise new applications of available knowledge. This indicator is an important measure of a country's commitment to innovation and economic growth.
It represents the total economic resources that a nation dedicates to environmental protection.
It represents the contribution of the production of environmental goods and services to economic growth.
Full-time equivalent jobs dedicated to the production of environmental goods and services.