Environment: EU 2030 Goals out of Reach Unless Member States Take Decisive and Urgent Action

The EU's 8th Environment Action Programme sets the legal framework for EU environmental policy until 2030. Today, the European Environment Agency published its first monitoring report on the Programme, which shows that the EU may not meet most of its climate and environment targets.

The report finds that stronger implementation by Member States of existing laws, additional measures, and mainstreaming climate and environment in other policy domains are required to change this outlook and make tangible progress.

Green Party MEP Grace O’Sullivan, who negotiated the 8th Environment Programme on behalf of the European Parliament, commented:

“Today’s report from the European Environment Agency reminds us yet again that we are in a planetary crisis and this is the critical decade to implement our climate and environmental goals. We must continue taking rapid, transformative and inclusive action to slow and stop the worst effects of climate change, reverse the sharp decline in biodiversity, and drastically cut waste and pollution.

In particular, the report makes it clear that we are not at all on track to reduce the climate and environmental impacts related to our production and consumption. Systemic change is required to move to a truly circular economy, based on sufficiency, and progressive elected representatives are needed more than ever to push for this. Take for example the packaging sector, where a whopping 40% of plastic and 50% of paper is used for packaging, the vast majority of which is used just once before being thrown away. While negotiations are ongoing for a massive overhaul of the EU’s packaging rules, environmentalists must fight tooth and nail for ambitious action against a major lobby effort by some of the world’s biggest packaging polluters.”

Background:

The EEA’s monitoring report on progress towards the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) objectives takes stock of progress towards Europe’s key environment and climate goals, based on 28 indicators and monitoring targets.

Today’s report is the first of the series to be published annually until 2030. The monitoring report and indicator scoreboard can be found here.

MEP Grace O’Sullivan is also the negotiator for the Greens/EFA Group on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, for which negotiations are ongoing.