Jock Martin, European Environment Agency (EEA) - Presentation on the mainstreaming of environmental priorities from a European perspective.

1. Mainstreaming environmentalPolicy
The Future of EU Environment priorities:
a European perspective 2010
Some reflections based on SOER
State of Environment in Ireland Conference – 27 June 2012
Jock Martin – European Environment Agency
Jock Martin, European Environment Agency

2. [1] SOER 2010 stresses a familiar message:
there has been progress, but not enough.
‘Environmental policy has delivered substantial improvements […]
however, major environmental challenges remain which will have
significant consequences […] if left unaddressed. ’ – SOER 2010
‘What differs […] is an enhanced understanding of
the links between environmental challenges
combined with unprecedented global megatrends.
This has allowed a deeper appreciation of the
human-made systemic risks and […] insight into
the shortcomings of governance.’ – SOER 2010

3. [2] Links between environmental challenges point
towards increasing vulnerability to systemic risks.
Characterisation of Key features In the spotlight in Policy approach
key challenges example
Specific linear cause-effect 1970s / 1980s targeted policies and
large(point) sources (continuing today) single-issue
often local instruments
Diffuse cumulative causes 1980s / 1990s policy integration
multiple sources (continuing today) and raising public
often regional awareness
Systemic systemic causes 1990s / 2000s policy coherence and
interlinked sources (continuing today) other systemic
often global approaches

4. [3] Integrated management of natural capital and
ecosystem services needed to address systemic risks.
Links between issues highlight
that how and where we use
natural capital and ecosystem
services matters.

5. [4] Where natural capital is limited, trade-offs between
ecosystem services, resource uses and well-being can occur
Capitals
Global
& Natural capital
European (i.e. air, water, land, seas, biodiversity)
Food Ecosystems Water
resources resources Produced capital
(i.e. along resources life-cycle)
Social and human capital
Human
Well-Being
&
Health Services
Resource needs for consumption
(e.g. provisioning services)
Energy Material
resources resources Access and exposure to environment
(e.g. regulating and cultural services)
Links between resource uses
(e.g. water needed for food production)

6. [5] SOER 2010 also highlights a selection of 11 global
megatrends relevant for the European environment.
Divergence in Living in an urban Risk of diseases Technological
population trends world & new pandemics change (eg. NBIC)
Continued A multi-polar Competition for Decreased stock
economic growth? world resources of natural capital
Consequences of Increased Environmental
Others
climate change pollution load governance
...
?

7. [6] SOER 2010 reflects on future environmental
priorities - four ‘i‘ - as areas for strategic action.
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
services (increasing resource natural capital sustainably
efficiency and resilience) within Europe … and
beyond

8. [7] Further reflections on making strategy actionable:
an additional four ‘i‘ offer tools and measures.
instruments information
•Precaution & Prevention
i1 •Rectification at source i2 •Access to information
•SEIS (shared information)
•Polluter pays •Environmental accounting
•... •...
investments innovation
•Green technologies •Research & development
i3 •Infrastructure i4 •Eco-innovations & -design
•... •Life-cycle approaches
•...

9. [8] Managing natural capital and ecosystem services:
improving resource efficiency and ensure resilience
Ecosystem Economy
(natural capital) (produced capital)
goal: ensure goal: improve
ecosystem resilience resource efficiency
GREEN
ECONOMY
Human well-being
(social and human capital)
goal: enhance social equity
and fair burden-sharing

10. [9] An (indicative) assessment progress towards
improving resource efficiency
Environmental issue EEA 38 EU 27 target / objective EU 27
- trend? - which? - on track?
Transboundary air pollution  To limit emissions of acidifying, and 
(NOX, NMVOC, SO2, NH3) eutrophying pollutants
Greenhouse gas emissions  To reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 
20 % by 2020
Air pollution  To limit emissions of ozone precursor 
pollutants
Maritime transport emissions  To reduce greenhouse gas emissions 
Water use  N.A. N.A.
Decoupling and recycling  To decouple resource use from 
(decouple resource use from economic economic growth; to move towards a
growth) recycling society

11. [10] An (indicative) assessment of progress towards
ensuring ecological resilience
Environmental issue EEA 38 EU 27 target / objective EU 27
- trend? - which? - on track?
Conservation status  To achieve favourable conservation 
(safeguard EU’s most important habitats status, set up Natura 2000 network
and species)
Global mean temperature change  To limit increases to below 2°C globally 
Air quality in urban areas  To attain levels of air quality that do not 
(particulate matter and ozone) give rise to negative health impacts
Biodiversity loss  To reverse negative species abundance 
(marine species and habitats) trends
Water stress  To achieve good quantitative status of 
(water exploitation) water bodies
Ecological footprint  N.A. N.A.
(footprint versus biocapacity)

12. [11] Environmental indicators offer a basis against which
to develop environmental and green economy policy
• By and large, European environmental policies appear
to have had a clearer impact on improving resource
efficiency than on maintaining ecosystem resilience.
• Environmental indicators highlight that improving
resource efficiency remains necessary, but in itself may
not be sufficient to ensure a sustainable natural environment.
• In a green economy policy context, there would be value in
considering objectives and targets that more explicitly recognise the
links between resource efficiency, ecosystem resilience and human
well-being

13. Thank you
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