Published : Apr 29,
2013 Last modified : Apr 29, 2013 09:31
AM - As Europe’s climate warms, wine producers
in Europe may need to change the type of
grapes they cultivate or the location of
vineyards, even moving production to other
areas in some cases. This is just one example
of how Europe’s economy and society need
to adapt to climate change, as examined
in a new report from the European Environment
Agency (EEA).
Adaptation is about
new ways of thinking and dealing with risks
and hazards, uncertainty and complexity.
It will require Europeans to cooperate,
to learn from each other and to invest in
the long-term transformations needed to
sustain our well-being in the face of climate
change.
The ‘Adaptation in Europe’
report describes the policies and some of
the measures taken at EU level and by European
countries. So
far half of the 32 EEA member countries
have plans for adaptation, and some have
started to take action, although all countries
still have a lot of work to do.
While global mitigation
efforts should continue to aim to limit
global temperature increases to 2 °C,
the report states that it is necessary to
prepare for a greater range of temperature
increases and other climate changes. This
is needed to properly account for the many
uncertainties in climatic and socio-economic
projections.
An earlier EEA report
has shown that climate change is already
affecting all regions in Europe, causing
a wide range of impacts on society and the
environment. Further impacts are expected
in the future if no action is taken. Observations
show higher average temperatures across
Europe Precipitation is decreasing in southern
regions and increasing in northern Europe.
Jacqueline McGlade,
EEA Executive Director, said: “Adaptation
is about new ways of thinking and dealing
with risks and hazards, uncertainty and
complexity. It will require Europeans to
cooperate, to learn from each other and
to invest in the long-term transformations
needed to sustain our well-being in the
face of climate change.”
The report was launched
today at a conference on the EU Strategy
on Adaptation to Climate Change, which is
intended to support coherent and integrated
adaptation policies in the EU across different
sectors.
Europe begins to adapt
The report recommends
a combination of different measures – ‘grey’
measures such as technological and engineering
projects, ‘green’ ecosystem-based approaches
using nature, and so-called ‘soft’ measures
such as policies to change governance approaches.
The most effective adaptation projects often
combine two or more different approaches,
the report says.
For example, adaptation
on France’s Mediterranean coast uses an
integrated approach considering climate
change, tourism, transport and biodiversity.
In urban areas green spaces and water bodies
work together with building design to reduce
heatwave risks. Barcelona has also started
to adapt to water shortages with a new highly
efficient desalination plant. This ‘grey’
project works in tandem with other ‘soft’
initiatives such as incentives to reduce
water consumption, reducing the impacts
from prolonged droughts.
While the cost of adaptation
may be high in some cases, the report emphasises
the overall savings from some adaptation
actions. One of the largest ecosystem-based
adaptation projects is restoring the Danube
river basin to its previously natural state.
Although it will cost an estimated € 183
million, it should help prevent flooding
such as the 2005 event which alone cost
€ 396 million in damages.
Early warning systems
to help predict forest fires, floods and
droughts have been set up in Europe. Such
soft measures can help communities cope
with risks, the report says. A similar project
in Italy has set up early warning systems
for mosquito-borne diseases expected to
increase with climate change.
Future challenges
Europe needs to adapt
to climate change in a coherent way, ensuring
adaptation is integrated in EU and national
policies, the report says. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’
approach – adapting to climate change should
respond to national and local conditions.
There is still uncertainty
in climate change projections, and it is
difficult to accurately estimate future
risks as socio-economic aspects are also
changing. For these reasons adaptation planning
should be flexible enough to cope with unforeseen
circumstances and a range of future climate
changes, the report says. For example, the
upgrade of the Thames Barrier which protects
London from coastal flooding is being planned
to keep options open, so it can be adjusted
depending on the trend in sea level rise.
Climate-ADAPT has a
wealth of case studies and other information
to help countries, regions and cities adapt
to climate change. The website includes
information on projected climate impacts
and national actions as well as news and
upcoming events.
+ More
Consumers buying more
efficient cars in Europe
Published : Apr 30,
2013 Last modified : Apr 30, 2013 04:12
PM - The average car sold in the EU in 2012
was 9 % more fuel-efficient than the average
three years before, according to a new report
from the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Improved technology and an increase in the
share of diesel cars are the main reasons
behind the fall in average CO2 emissions.
New vehicle technology
is becoming more efficient, which is an
encouraging sign. But significantly cutting
the greenhouse gases from transport will
also require a more fundamental change in
the transport modes we use and how we use
them.
The latest edition of
Monitoring CO2 emissions from new passenger
cars in the EU includes provisional data
on vehicles sold in 2012. It shows that
average CO2 emissions from the new car fleet
in the EU fell by 2.6 % between 2011 and
2012.
In addition to technological
changes, the economic crisis may have increased
sales of more efficient models in some countries,
the report says.
Jacqueline McGlade,
EEA Executive Director, said: “New vehicle
technology is becoming more efficient, which
is an encouraging sign. But significantly
cutting the greenhouse gases from transport
will also require a more fundamental change
in the transport modes we use and how we
use them.”
Carbon dioxide emissions
from road transport increased by 21 % between
11000 and 2011. The sector is responsible
for 23% of all CO2 emissions in the EU*.
As part of the response to this problem,
the EU has a short-term target for average
new car emissions to be below 130 grams
carbon dioxide per kilometre (g CO2/km)
by 2015, and a long term target of 95 gCO2/km
by 2020. In 2012, average emissions were
132.2 gCO2/km.
Under EU legislation,
car manufacturers have individual emissions
targets based on the average mass of the
cars they sell. 2012 is the first year that
manufacturers may face fines if they exceed
their target. The EEA will report on compliance
with 2012 targets once the data is confirmed
later this year.
Key findings
In 2012, approximately
12 million new cars were sold. This number
has decreased since it peaked in 2007, when
15.5 million new vehicles were registered.
Registrations of new cars fell furthest
in 2012 in Greece (-41 %), Portugal (-38
%) and Cyprus (-25 %), while at the other
end of the scale new cars increased by more
than 12 % in in Estonia and Hungary.
Diesel vehicles represent
55 % of the newly registered vehicle fleet.
Diesel cars have traditionally had lower
CO2 emissions than their petrol counterparts
although this gap has narrowed in recent
years. However, it is important to note
that diesel cars emit higher levels of some
air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide,
compared to petrol-driven equivalents.
The lowest carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions per kilometre were in Denmark
(117g CO2/km) and Portugal (118 g CO2/km).
The largest improvement in efficiency between
2011 and 2012 was in Greece (9 %) and Denmark
(6 %).
Hungary and Belgium
were the only two EU Member States where
cars sold in 2012 were on average less efficient
than those sold the year before. Cars with
the highest average emissions were sold
in Latvia (152g CO2/km) and Estonia (150g
CO2/km).
Alternative fuel vehicles
(AFVs) include electric cars, hybrids and
cars running on alternative fuels such as
liquid petroleum gas and ethanol. Thirteen
per cent of new cars sold in Italy were
alternative fuel vehicles, the highest proportion
in any Member State.
Annual pure electric
vehicle sales increased 20-fold over the
last three years, going from around 700
in 2010 to around 14 000 in 2012. Most of
these cars were registered in France (more
than 5 500 vehicles in 2012) and Germany
(almost 3 000 vehicles).
