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EEA Signals 2021 — Europe’s nature

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Page Last modified 29 Aug 2023
1 min read
Why do we need decisive action now to protect nature? What is at stake and how can we tackle the biodiversity crisis?

The EEA Signals report is an annual, easy-to-read publication, consisting of a series of short articles, that looks at key issues related to the environment and climate. Recent EEA Signals reports have looked at zero pollution (2020),  soil (2019), water (2018), and energy (2017).

 

Editorial — The value of nature

Hans Bruyninckx


"The value of nature goes beyond the direct services it provides to us. Nature has cultural value too, forming the backdrop to our existence as humans and providing the conditions necessary for good physical and mental health, as well as for emotional and spiritual well-being."

 Hans Bruyninckx 
EEA Executive Director

 

Contents


 

Interview — Vital role of bird monitors

Photo Petr Voříšek for SIGNALS interview_ratio.jpg

Interview — Protecting nature in a changing climate

Beate Jessel_04_c_Ursula Euler_Signals_ratio.jpg

Interview — Economics of biodiversity

James Vause

 

The EEA's latest 'State of nature in the EU' report shows alarming results from the 2013-2018 reporting period. Many species and habitats in Europe face an uncertain future unless urgent action is taken to reverse the situation.

 

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EEA’s information systems on nature

 

 

Identifiers

Title: EEA Signals 2021: Europe's nature
HTML - TH-AP-21-001-EN-Q - ISBN 978-92-9480-397-9 - ISSN 2443-7662 - doi: 10.2800/905797
PDF - TH-AP-21-001-EN-N - ISBN 978-92-9480-399-3 - ISSN 2443-7662 - doi: 10.2800/134828

Related content

News and articles

Article Editorial — The value of nature The loss of biodiversity and natural ecosystems we are currently witnessing is just as catastrophic as climate change. In fact, the two are closely entwined, as climate change accelerates biodiversity loss and healthy ecosystems are a vital ally in the fight against climate change.
Article Our nature needs urgent help Awareness of our nature has never been as high as it is today. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions many of us headed outside to our nearest green spaces for respite and solace — necessary breaks from our lockdown existence. It once again reminded us of the vital and valued role that our nature plays in our mental and physical well-being.
Article Interview — Economics of biodiversity: can accounting help save nature? Can putting a value on nature help protect it or do we need new governance models? How is trade linked to biodiversity loss and inequalities? We talked to James Vause, the lead economist at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), who contributed to the Dasgupta review on the economics of biodiversity, especially to the chapter focused on trade and the biosphere.
Article Restoring the natural world Europe has set ambitious policy goals to allow nature to recover and flourish, increasing the benefits to society of a healthy natural world. From protected areas and green and blue infrastructure to restoration, rewilding and using nature-based solutions to climate change, much needs to be done to reverse the deterioration in the health of nature.
Article At a glance: EU legislation on nature EU Member States started coordinating environmental policies in the 1970s and nature was the first area for European action. To this day, the nature directives — the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive, first adopted in 1979 and 1992, respectively — constitute the cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to protect and preserve biodiversity.
Article What is harming Europe’s nature? European nature is suffering the consequences of long-term exploitation and pollution. Nature keeps providing us with food, clothes, medicines, housing, energy and other resources, but ecosystems and many plants and animals are in decline, sometimes being pushed to extinction. What are the human activities that harm nature the most and how can we stop and reverse current biodiversity loss?
Article Interview — Protecting nature in a changing climate: our actions must focus on resilience From changes in species habitats and communities to water availability and flowering seasons, climate change impacts ecosystems and biodiversity. We asked Professor Dr Beate Jessel, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, about the links between biodiversity and climate change and what could be done to boost nature’s resilience in a changing climate.
News Europe’s nature under pressure — challenges and solutions The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) work and other assessments have shown that European ecosystems are under serious threat. Centuries of exploitation have left their mark on Europe’s natural world and most protected habitats and species are not in good conservation status. The EEA Signals 2021, published today, presents an overview of the problems Europe’s nature is facing and points to strategies to reverse the situation.
Article Interview — Vital role of bird monitors Monitoring wildlife and habitats plays a key role in expert assessments. We spoke with Petr Voříšek, member of the coordination team of the European Breeding Bird Atlas 2 at the Czech Society for Ornithology, about how such information and data are put together on a European scale and what challenges bird populations face today.
Article Towards zero pollution in Europe Last spring, a coronavirus reshaped the world in a matter of weeks. Many of the things that we had taken for granted were suddenly not available to us anymore. The pandemic caught the world by surprise, but, if you had asked a scientist working in a field related to infectious diseases, this was only a matter of time.

Related briefings

See also

Page EEA Signals 2022 — Staying on course for a sustainable Europe EEA Signals 2022 takes a broad look at energy and sustainability in a Europe that recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, faced with a war in Ukraine and committed to ambitious goals on protecting the climate, nature and people’s health.
Page
Archived
EEA Signals 2022 — Staying on course for a sustainable Europe EEA Signals 2022 takes a broad look at energy and sustainability in a Europe that recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, faced with a war in Ukraine and committed to ambitious goals on protecting the climate, nature and people’s health.
Folder Infographics
Page EEA Signals 2020: Towards zero pollution in Europe What is pollution? Where does it come from? How does pollution affect the environment and how does it affect people’s health? How can Europe move towards zero pollution, in line with the ambition of the European Green Deal? EEA Signals 2020 looks at pollution through different lenses related to the Agency’s work and EU legislation.
Folder Signals 2018 - Water is life

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For references, please go to https://eea.europa.eu./signals-archived/signals-2021/eea-signals-2021-europes-nature or scan the QR code.

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