Environmental damage is putting European way of life at risk, says report

"The European way of life is being jeopardised by environmental degradation, a report has found, with EU officials warning against weakening green rules. The continent has made important progress in cutting planet-heating pollution, according to the European Environment Agency, but the death of wildlife and breakdown of the climate are ruining ecosystems that underpin the economy. The seventh edition of the report, which has been published every five years since 1995, found:"

"More than 80% of protected habitats are in a poor or bad state, with unsustainable consumption and production patterns driving loss of wildlife. The EU's carbon sink has declined by about 30% in a decade as logging, wildfires and pests damage forests. Emissions from transport and food have barely budged since 2005, despite progress in other sectors. Member states have failed to adapt to extreme weather as fast as risk levels have risen."

More than 80% of protected habitats are in a poor or bad state due to unsustainable consumption and production patterns driving wildlife loss. The EU's carbon sink has declined by about 30% in a decade as logging, wildfires and pests damage forests. Emissions from transport and food have barely budged since 2005 despite progress in other sectors. Member states have failed to adapt to extreme weather at the pace that risks have risen. Water stress already affects one in three Europeans and will worsen as the climate changes. Political rollbacks and external pressure to relax pollution standards threaten mitigation and adaptation efforts.

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