Environment statistics at regional level

Data extracted in March and April 2024.

Planned article update: September 2025.

Highlights

Between 1990 and 2022, the capital region of Lithuania – Sostinės regionas – had the biggest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions among EU regions. Its emissions fell 75.0%, which was approximately 3 times as fast as the EU average (down 26.8%).

In 2023, German regions had the highest levels of renewable energy production among EU regions: Emden (to the west of Bremen) for onshore wind (3 110 MWh per km²) and Brandenburg an der Havel (to the west of Berlin) for solar photovoltaic panels (2 790 MWh per km²).

Source: EDGAR_GHG_NUTS2_v2.0. GHG emissions at subnational level, European Commission (Joint Research Centre), see https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg80_nuts2

Since the industrial revolution, the presence of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere has increased at a rapid pace. Some of the principal man-made causes of greenhouse gas emissions include burning fossil fuels, deforestation and intensive livestock farming. Climate change and environmental degradation are interconnected: climate change affects biodiversity and triggers a range of environmental consequences, while healthy ecosystems provide services that are critical for climate change mitigation (carbon sinks and stocks) and adaptation (water retention, protection against floods and desertification, urban heat reduction, protection against air pollution, and so on).

The United Nations (UN’s) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a long-term strategy that aims to achieve a range of economic, social and environmental goals. The strategy is monitored through a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The European Green Deal lays out plans to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050. It contributes to achieving the climate and environmental objectives of the 2030 Agenda.

Full article

Climate change mitigation

SDG 13 on ‘climate action’ encourages urgent action to combat climate change and its impact. The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in December 2015 and set forth an ambitious global goal ‘to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels’. Without decisive action to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, it’s likely the world will experience more frequent and extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and flooding. According to the UN, this will put the lives of over 3 billion people at risk.

The European Green Deal aims to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared with 1990 levels). Such a reduction will require profound and transformative changes, for example, to energy and transport systems, industrial processes and agriculture, as well as increased carbon removal by ecosystems. Map 1 shows the progress made towards this target, with emissions in the EU falling 26.8% between 1990 and 2022.

Greenhouse gas emissions fell in around 80% of EU regions between 1990 and 2022

There were 191 NUTS level 2 regions across the EU that recorded a fall in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2022, 50 regions where emissions increased, and a single region where there was no change. Every region of Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden recorded a fall in emissions during the period under consideration; this was the case in Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta too. At the bottom end of the distribution, there were 14 regions in the EU where greenhouse gas emissions had already been reduced by more than 55.0% between 1990 and 2022 (they are shown in the darkest shade of teal in Map 1), including

Centru, Sud-Est, Bucureşti-Ilfov (the capital region) and Vest in Romania
Hovedstaden (the capital region) and Sjælland in Denmark
Sostinės regionas, the capital region of Lithuania – which recorded the biggest overall fall (down 75.0%)
the neighbouring Baltic countries of Estonia and Latvia
Moravskoslezsko in Czechia, Rheinhessen-Pfalz in Germany, Dytiki Makedonia in Greece, Liguria in Italy and Közép-Dunántúl in Hungary.

Looking in more detail at developments for these 14 regions, the reductions observed were often largely attributable to falls in greenhouse gas emissions within the energy sector. Indeed, the largest reductions between 1990 and 2022 were recorded for the energy sector in all 4 Romanian regions, the 3 Baltic regions, the 2 Danish regions, as well as Dytiki Makedonia and Közép-Dunántúl. Greenhouse gas emissions within the energy sector fell by 80-90% in all but one of these 11 regions, with an even larger fall observed in the Danish region of Sjælland (down 97%). A different development was observed in the Czech region of Moravskoslezsko and the German region of Rheinhessen-Pfalz, where the largest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2022 were recorded in the industrial sector, while in the Italian region of Liguria the largest reduction was recorded in the waste sector.

Greenhouse gas emission increased between 1990 and 2022 in a majority of the NUTS level 2 regions in Ireland, Spain and Portugal; this was also the case in Cyprus. At the top end of the distribution, the biggest increases were recorded in 2 of the French outermost regions, Mayotte (up 223.7%) and La Réunion (up 166.5%). Región de Murcia and La Rioja – both in Spain – were the only other regions to report that their greenhouse gas emissions more than doubled during the period under consideration.

Renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels

Solar energy can be used to help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, playing a key role in the EU’s transition to clean energy. Photovoltaics generate electric power by using solar cells to convert energy from the sun into electricity. The EU’s production of photovoltaic electricity accounted for 7.3% of its gross electricity output in 2022. Production of photovoltaic electricity rose 29.3% between 2021 and 2022.

The most suitable regions for the generation of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels are those located in southern EU countries. This is especially the case for regions characterised by abundant solar radiation and barren/arid land that can be exploited for utility-scale installations; examples include the regions of Cáceres and Murcia in Spain. However, at the time of writing a relatively high proportion of the EU’s installed solar capacity is located in western EU countries. These figures can change relatively quickly in response to national and regional policy initiatives that encourage new installations (both for residential and commercial rooftops and utility-scale installations).

The German region of Brandenburg an der Havel had the highest level of renewable energy production from solar photovoltaic panels in 2023, at 2 790 MWh per km²

On average, each square kilometre (km²) of land in the EU produced 59.3 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels in 2023, enough for 22 medium-sized households (averaging 2.7 MWh of consumption). The generation of renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels was concentrated in the NUTS level 3 regions of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, despite the fact that they had lower potential yields as a result of relatively cloudy weather and fewer daylight hours in the winter months; regional statistics on renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels are estimates and may differ slightly from national totals. The German region of Brandenburg an der Havel to the west of Berlin and the north-western Belgian region of Arr. Veurne recorded the highest levels of production, at 2 790 MWh per km² and 2 175 MWh per km², respectively. They were among a group of 114 regions where renewable energy production from solar photovoltaic panels was at least 300.0 MWh per km² (as shown by the darkest shade of blue in Map 2).

By contrast, the northernmost regions of Finland and Sweden, as well as the Baltic countries, unsurprisingly recorded some of the lowest levels of renewable energy production from solar photovoltaic panels. That said, most regions in northern Spain and Portugal, as well as much of Croatia and Romania were also characterised by relatively low levels of production, highlighting the untapped solar energy potential of less-developed, rural regions. There were 122 NUTS level 3 regions where renewable energy production from solar photovoltaic panels was less than 1.5 MWh per km², with 26 regions reporting no production at all; a majority of this latter group were located in Finland.

Renewable energy from onshore wind

Wind power is the EU’s primary source of renewable energy, the majority comes from onshore (rather than offshore) sites. Wind turbines capture the kinetic energy present in the wind and convert it into mechanical energy, which is then transformed into electricity. The efficiency of a wind turbine is influenced by several factors, including wind speed, the length of the turbine blades and air density (denser air at lower altitudes typically enhances the efficiency of turbine rotors).

The EU has set itself an ambitious target for 2030, aiming to have at least 42.5% of its energy consumption supplied by renewable energy sources. If this goal is to be met, the European Commission estimates that installed wind capacity will need to grow to over 500 gigawatt hours (GWh) by 2030. In 2022, the EU’s onshore wind production was 381 GWh of electricity, accounting for 13.5% of its total electricity output. Between 2021 and 2022, the electricity generated by onshore wind production increased 7.2%.

The German region of Emden had the highest level of renewable energy production from onshore wind in 2023, at 3 110 MWh per km²

For every square kilometre (km²) of land in the EU, an average of 81.9 MWh of renewable energy from onshore wind was produced in 2023. The regional distribution was relatively skewed insofar as around 1 in 3 NUTS level 3 regions – or 404 out of 1 161 – reported a level of renewable energy production from onshore wind that was equal to or above the EU average; regional statistics on renewable energy from onshore wind are estimates and may differ slightly from national totals. Renewable energy from onshore wind was largely concentrated in a band of regions characterised by their exposure to prevailing winds that move in an easterly or north-easterly direction. This group covered the north-west corner of the Iberian Peninsula, Ireland, northern France, the Benelux countries, northern Germany and Denmark. By contrast, some of the lowest levels of renewable energy production from onshore wind were recorded in predominantly urban or mountainous regions and across eastern EU countries.

There were 109 NUTS level 3 regions where renewable energy production from onshore wind was at least 350.0 MWh per km² in 2023(as shown by the darkest shade of blue in Map 3). The north-west German region of Emden, Kreisfreie Stadt had the highest level of production, at 3 110 MWh per km². There were 4 other regions in the EU – all within relatively close proximity to Emden – where renewable energy production from onshore wind was higher than 2 000 MWh per km²: 3 more northern German regions – Dithmarschen, Nordfriesland and Bremerhaven Kreisfreie Stadt – and Delfzijl en omgeving in the north-east of the Netherlands.

In 2023, there were 342 NUTS level 3 regions which had no renewable energy production from onshore wind (they are shown with a yellow shade in Map 3). The absence of energy from onshore wind can, at least in part, be attributed to a combination of geographical, meteorological, economic and structural constraints. For example, several of the regions in this group were predominantly urban regions with dense populations and limited space for wind turbine installations. Onshore wind developments may also be constrained, among other factors, by a lack of sufficient wind, an abundance of alternative energy sources, a lack of grid capacity and/or investment, and regulatory/planning barriers. Ireland and Sweden were the only EU countries to report every region having renewable energy production from onshore wind; this was the case in Cyprus and Luxembourg too.

It’s interesting to contrast patterns of renewable energy output between onshore wind and solar photovoltaic panels. In several EU countries – for example, Germany, Spain, France and Portugal – there was a marked north-south divide. Northern regions tended to have higher levels of production from onshore wind, while southern regions generally exhibited higher levels of output from solar photovoltaic panels.

Climate change impacts

Cooling degree days

SDG 7 on ‘affordable and clean energy’ seeks to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. In recent decades, changes in the weather and better insulated housing have modified the demand for heating and cooling. While warmer temperatures reduce the need for heating in winter, most buildings in the EU require some heating. With very hot summers and rising temperatures, an increasing number of buildings make use of air-conditioning during the summer, especially in southern Europe.

The EU has accelerated its plans for an energy transition away from fossil fuels alongside plans for energy efficiency savings (for example, through proposals to renovate millions of buildings so that they waste less energy). The Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791 adopted in September 2023 sets a new energy saving target for the EU, namely, to cut 11.7% of final energy consumption between 2024 and 2030.

More about the data: cooling degree days

Cooling degree days are a metric used to estimate energy requirements for cooling. They measure the severity of the heat in a specific time period taking into consideration outdoor and average room temperatures (in other words, the need for cooling in a building). Cooling degree days are derived from meteorological observations of air temperature, interpolated to regular grids at 25 km resolution. The results are subsequently aggregated to a regional level, based on the NUTS classification.

The calculation of cooling degree days relies on a base temperature – the highest daily mean air temperature for which cooling isn’t required. The base temperature is set to a constant value of 24°C (above which, it’s assumed cooling is required). Cooling degree days are measured for each day the temperature rises above the threshold of 24°C. They are computed as the mean air temperature of the day in question minus 21°C. In other words, if the daily mean air temperature is 26°C, the value of cooling degree days is 5 (26°C minus 21°C). Daily information is subsequently compiled into monthly and annual averages.

Map 4 provides information for the average number of cooling degree days for 1983–93. It may be contrasted with Map 5 that shows the development for the number of cooling degree days across successive decades (compared to the average count in 1983–93).

In the initial period (1983–93), the average annual number of cooling degree days in the EU was 55.6 degree days. The regional distribution was skewed: of the 235 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available, there were 69 – or 29.4% of all regions – where the number of cooling degree days was equal to or above the EU average. The regions with the highest numbers of cooling degree days were concentrated in southern EU countries, with a peak of 496.2 degree days in Malta.

For more detailed information on heating and cooling degree days – see Regions in Europe (interactive publication).

During the period 2013–23, the need to cool buildings was highest in Cyprus and Malta

In the past 3 decades, there has been a rapid increase in the EU’s number of cooling degree days. From a baseline of 55.6 cooling degree days during the period 1983–93, this figure was 15.9 degree days higher in 1993–2003, followed by further gains of 16.4 degree days and 15.6 degree days for the successive decades, such that an average of 103.6 cooling degree days was reported for the period 2013–23. In this final period (2013–23), the regions with the highest numbers of cooling degree days continued to be concentrated in southern EU countries, with a peak of 730.4 degree days in Cyprus.

In relative terms, the fastest rates of change for the average number of cooling degree days between 1983–93 and 2013–23 were concentrated in the northern half of Europe. The number of cooling degree days was at least 5.00 times as high in 2013–23 as it had been in 1983–93 in 37 different NUTS level 2 regions (as shown by the darkest shade of teal in the final part of Map 5). Among others, this group included all regions of the Baltic countries, every region of Denmark, 8 regions in the Netherlands and 6 regions in central and southern Sweden.

In absolute terms, the largest increases in average numbers of cooling degree days between 1983–93 and 2013–23 were concentrated in southern EU regions. Cyprus, Ionia Nisia (Greece), Región de Murcia, Illes Balears (both in Spain) and Malta saw their average numbers rise by over 200 degree days. They were followed by 24 regions from Greece, Spain and Italy, as well as Yugoiztochen in south-east Bulgaria, where increases of 140–200 degree days were recorded. Among other EU countries, there were also relatively big increases in the average number of cooling degree days in the island region of Corse (France) and the Austrian and Romanian capital regions of Wien and Bucureşti-Ilfov.

When comparing the initial period (1983–93) to the final period (2013–23), there were 5 NUTS level 2 regions that experienced a fall in their average number of cooling degree days (as shown by the light yellow shade in the final part of Map 5)

the largest reduction occurred in the southern Portuguese region of Algarve, where the average number of cooling degree days decreased by 5.2
Principado de Asturias in Spain saw its average number of cooling degree days fall by 0.7
the 3 Irish regions experienced little overall change in their respective number of cooling degree days, which remained close to zero throughout the period under consideration.

For more detailed information on heating and cooling degree days – see Regions in Europe (interactive publication).

Time lapse for three choropleth maps based on the average annual number of cooling degree days. The maps show indexed values for 1993 to 2003, 2003 to 2013 and 2013 to 2023, based on the average for 1983 to 1993 set equal to 100. Data are shown for level 2 regions in EU and EFTA countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.

Drought impact

SDG 15 ‘life on land’ aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.

Most regions of the EU have sufficient water resources: however, water scarcity and drought are becoming increasingly frequent and widespread phenomena. Severe and frequent droughts may, among other impacts, lead to a reduction in water resources, reduce agricultural output, accelerate the process of soil erosion and cut carbon sequestration. Droughts can also impact biodiversity and the restoration of nature through habitat loss, the migration of species and the spread of invasive alien species.

Information on drought impacts can be used to indicate the severity of drought conditions, which arise when soil moisture availability to plants drops to such a level that it adversely affects crop yield, and hence, agricultural production. Monitoring vegetation response to water deficits makes it possible for policymakers to introduce measures that aim to increase the resilience of ecosystems in line with the EU’s Nature Restoration Law – a key element of the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030.

During the period 2000–22, the average area of drought impact on vegetation productivity in the EU was approximately 167 000 km² (see Figure 1). Relatively large areas of land were under drought impact during 4 of the last 5 years for which data are available, the exception being 2021.

In 2022, the EU experienced its hottest summer and 2nd warmest year on record. The area of drought impact on vegetation was approximately 631 000 km², which was 3.8 times as high as the average for the period 2000–22. A majority of the impacted area was composed of cropland (51.9%), while forest and woodland (24.1%) and grassland (14.9%) also accounted for relatively high shares.

Figure 1: Area of drought impact on vegetation productivity, 2000–22
(1 000 km², EU)
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, Copernicus Emergency Management Service

Several regions in Germany and Portugal experienced at least 10% of their area impacted by drought during the period 2000–22

Map 6 shows the average area of drought impact due to soil moisture deficit for the period between 2000 and 2022. Each year, an average of 4.1% of the EU’s land area faced drought impacts, with an increasing trend over time. The regional distribution of drought impacts was relatively even insofar as there were 603 NUTS level 3 regions out of 1 161 for which data are available (or 51.9% of all regions) where the average area impacted by drought was higher than the share recorded for the EU.

At the top end of the distribution, there were 61 NUTS level 3 regions where drought impacted, on average, at least 8.4% of the land during the period 2000–22 (these regions are denoted by the darkest shade of brown in Map 6). They were concentrated in Germany (21 regions), Belgium (12 regions), Portugal (9 regions) and France (6 regions), but also included 3 regions from each of Spain and Croatia, 2 regions from Austria, as well as Varna in Bulgaria, Pesaro e Urbino in Italy, Luxembourg, Twente in the Netherlands and Białostocki in Poland. Over the period 2000–22, the average area impacted by drought peaked at 12.1% in the central German region of Nordhausen.

By contrast, there were 90 NUTS level 3 regions where, during the period 2000–22, the average drought impact area was less than 1.1% (they are shown with the lightest shade of brown in Map 6). Many of these regions were concentrated in western EU countries, principally across Germany and the Netherlands, and including every region of Ireland. At the bottom end of the distribution, there were 15 regions where none of the land was impacted by drought between 2000 and 2022. A majority of this group was composed of outermost regions that are located in the Atlantic Ocean

7 regions that form Canarias (Spain)
Regiões Autónomas dos Açores e da Madeira (Portugal).

As noted above, the EU experienced its hottest summer on record in 2022, and consequently its highest area impacted by drought (631 000km²); this was equivalent to 15.4% of its total land area. Map 7 shows that large parts of Belgium, Germany, France, Croatia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovenia were severely impacted by drought in 2022. For example, drought impacted 71.7% of the Luxembourgish territory, which was 6.5 times as high as the long-term average (11.0%) recorded over the period 2000–22.

There were 145 NUTS level 3 regions where at least 45.0% of all land was impacted by drought in 2022 (as shown by the darkest shade of brown in Map 7). The central Slovenian region of Zasavska recorded the highest share (97.2%). It was followed by 3 regions in north-western Belgium – Arr. Tielt, Arr. Aalst and Arr. Oudenaarde – each with shares in the range of 85.4–87.5%.

Across the EU, the area impacted by drought in 2022 was 3.8 times as high as the average area impacted during the period 2000–22. This situation was repeated in a majority of NUTS level 3 regions, as 7 out of 10 regions reported a greater area impacted by drought in 2022 (than their long-term average). At the top end of the distribution there were 121 regions where the area impacted by drought was at least 10 times as high as the long-term average. Almost a third of this group was located in France (40 regions), while there were 20 regions located in Belgium (20). For example,

70.9% of the land area in the northern French region of Calvados was impacted by drought in 2022, this was 18.4 times as high as average recorded between 2000 and 2022
more than 75.0% of the land area in the north-western Belgian region of Arr. Ieper was impacted by drought in 2022, which was 21.7 times as high as its long-term average.

In 2022, 15.4% of the EU’s land area was impacted by drought. This share was 11.3 percentage points higher than the average (4.1%) recorded for the whole of the period 2000–22. There were 77 NUTS level 3 regions where the area impacted by drought was at least 50.0 percentage points higher in 2022 than the long-term average for 2000–22. These regions were primarily concentrated in France, Belgium, Germany and Slovenia. The largest difference – in percentage point terms – was recorded for Zasavska in Slovenia, where the share of land impacted by drought was 97.2% in 2022, which was 90.3 points higher than the long-term average (6.9%). The next largest differences were recorded in Belgium, as the share of land impacted by drought was, in 2022, more than 75.0 points above the long-term average in Arr. Tielt, Arr. Aalst, Arr. Oudenaarde and Arr. Ath.

Air quality

SDG 11 ‘sustainable cities and communities’ focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Human activities can lead to a considerable deterioration in air quality, for example, through industrial processes (including electricity generation), the burning of solid fuels, transport, agriculture and the generation or treatment of waste. Naturally occurring air pollution can result, among other sources, from volcanic eruptions, desert dust or forest fires.

Air pollution is a major cause of disease and premature death in the EU, with fine particulate matter deemed to have the most severe impact. Some of the most common causes of both illness and premature death attributed to air pollution include heart disease, stroke, lung disease, lung cancer, and asthma; these illnesses also have an associated economic cost through lost working days and healthcare expenditure.

More about the data: air quality guidelines, commitments and targets

Fine particulate matter covers particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less (otherwise referred to as PM_2.5). In September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) established global air quality guidelines, emphasising the need to safeguard public health: an annual average of 5 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, reflecting emerging scientific insights that even low concentrations of air pollution pose significant risks to human health.

To achieve the EU’s ambitious vision of zero pollution by 2050, the European Commission has outlined key targets and initiatives. Among these, an intermediate goal to reduce premature deaths resulting from exposure to air pollution by at least 55% between 2005 and 2030. Additionally, the European Commission has proposed a revision (COM(2022) 542 final) of its air quality standards to align these more closely to the WHO’s recommendations.

Directive (2016/2284/EU) on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants sets emission reduction commitments for 5 air pollutants, including fine particulate matter. They are designed to reduce the health impacts of air pollution by 50% compared with 2005. The directive also requires EU countries to draw up national air pollution control programmes.

In 2021, the north-western Bulgarian region of Vidin had the highest number of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter per 100 000 inhabitants

The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that around 253 000 premature deaths in the EU could be attributed to the impact of fine particulate matter in 2021; this equates to an average of 57.2 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants. The regional distribution was skewed, as the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution per 100 000 inhabitants was below the EU average in 817 out of 1 152 – or 70.9% – of NUTS level 3 regions for which data are available.

Unsurprisingly, the highest absolute numbers of premature deaths associated with fine particulate matter were observed in some of the most populous NUTS level 3 regions; they were concentrated in southern and eastern EU countries and included many predominantly urban regions. The northern Italian region of Milano (3 917) recorded the highest number of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter in 2021. There were also high counts in Roma (2 819) and Barcelona (2 808), while 7 more regions in the EU had more than 2 000 premature deaths attributed to air pollution. Among these, 6 were capital regions: Miasto Warszawa in Poland, Bucureşti in Romania, Madrid in Spain, Berlin in Germany, Sofia (stolitsa) in Bulgaria and Budapest in Hungary; the other region was Torino in Italy.

While the absolute number of premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter was highest in some of the most populous NUTS level 3 regions of the EU, the most significant impacts of air pollution when normalised by population were generally observed in eastern EU countries. In 2021, there were 156 NUTS level 3 regions within the EU where the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution was at least 100.0 per 100 000 inhabitants (these regions are shown in the 2 darkest shades of blue in Map 8). Vidin in north-west Bulgaria and Miasto Kraków in southern Poland were the only regions to record more than 200 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants attributable to air pollution. There were 22 other regions where the number of premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants attributable to air pollution was in the range of 150–200. This group was composed of 10 more regions from each of Bulgaria and Poland, as well as a single region from each of Romania and Hungary.

At the other end of the range, there were 106 NUTS level 3 regions where the number of premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter was less than 15.0 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2021. This group – where this type of air pollution had a relatively low impact on human health – included every region of Estonia, Ireland and Finland and almost every region in Sweden; the only exception was Västra Götalands län.

Source data for figures and maps

Environment at regional level

Data sources

The European Commission has set up a sustainable development monitoring system – the EU SDG indicator set. It contains a set of more than 100 indicators that are reviewed on an annual basis. They are used to monitor progress towards the SDGs in an EU context and also form the basis for an annual publication Sustainable development in the European Union – Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context.

European Environment Agency (EEA)

The EEA provides data on a broad range of environmental topics. Within this chapter, EEA data have been used for the following indicators

drought impact
air pollution.

Drought impact

Drought impact on vegetation productivity is an indicator computing annual areas of lower than average vegetation conditions as a response to drought pressures. The indicator is obtained from remote-sensing derived time series of vegetation indices in areas that are pressured by drought. Drought pressure is computed using a soil moisture anomaly (SMA) indicator time series from the European Drought Observatory of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). Drought pressure exists when the SMA is lower than the long-term average SMA (below -1 standard deviation). Vegetation productivity is derived from a plant phenology index (PPI) as the annual integral area, produced by the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Vegetation anomalies are expressed in standardised deviations compared with the long-term average vegetation productivity conditions for each 500m grid cell. Negative vegetation productivity anomalies in grid cells with low soil moisture anomalies indicate conditions that are inferior to long-term normal conditions. The extent of the impacted area is calculated from the sum of those grid cells where the SMA is lower than -1 and the vegetation productivity anomaly is below -0.5 standard deviation in a particular year.

More information on the European Drought Observatory can be found on the JRC’s website.

More information on drought impacts on ecosystems in Europe can be found on the EEA website.

Air pollution

Air quality is assessed by the concentration of various pollutants in ambient air. The EEA is the source for statistics presented on air pollution from particulate matter (PM). Based on the size of the particles, various categories of particulate matter can be defined: the statistics presented here concern fine particulate matter – PM_2.5, in other words, particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (μm) or less.

Premature deaths are deaths that occur before a person reaches an expected age. This expected age is typically the life expectancy of a country, stratified by sex and age. Premature deaths are considered preventable if their cause can be eliminated.

The indicator presented on premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter is expressed in absolute numbers and more generally per 100 000 inhabitants. The latter is one of the indicators used to monitor SDG 11. Under the European Green Deal’s zero pollution action plan, the European Commission set a goal to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by PM_2.5 by at least 55% by 2030 (compared with 2005). The revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives, coupled with stricter requirements to tackle air pollution at source (such as from agriculture, industry, transport, buildings and energy) should assist in reaching this target.

Joint Research Centre

Greenhouse gas emissions

The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) is a global database of anthropogenic (man-made) emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution. EDGAR data development was supported by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission (DG REGIO; JRC administrative agreement no. 36325; grant no. 2022CE160AT124).

Emissions are calculated for the following greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) and sulfuryl fluoride (SO₂F₂).

More information on the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research can be found on the JRC’s website.

Data from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research can be downloaded from the JRC’s website.

Renewable energy from solar photovoltaic panels

Renewable energy production data for 2023 are estimated from point location data about existing solar photovoltaic installations collected from various sources. There were 2 main sources used: ‘Harmonised global datasets of wind and solar farm locations and power’ (Dunnett et al., 2020) and ‘Lists of utility-scale solar projects – Wiki-Solar’ (WolfeWare Ltd, 2023). These sources are combined with a raster layer of 1 km spatial resolution developed by the JRC to estimate solar production within municipalities, which is subsequently aggregated to NUTS level 3. The regional statistics presented are derived from production figures that were assessed by the JRC during the course of 2023. As such, they are estimates that may differ slightly if compared against the latest official data for EU countries.

More information on photovoltaics in the EU can be found on the JRC’s website.

Renewable energy from onshore wind

The main source of information for onshore wind energy in each municipality of the EU is the World Wind Farms database, which provides up-to-date information on the location and capacities of wind farms. The database reports installed capacity for onshore wind. These data are combined with grid-level (3 km*3 km) capacity factors from the Global Wind Atlas to estimate annual electricity production from onshore wind (taking account of power losses and overestimations due to turbine technology assumptions). The information is subsequently aggregated to NUTS level 3. The regional statistics presented are derived from production figures that were assessed by the JRC during the course of 2023. As such, they are estimates that may differ slightly if compared against the latest official data for EU countries.

More information on wind energy in the EU can be found on the JRC’s website.

Eurostat

Cooling degree days

The concept of ‘degree days’ measures how much (in degrees) and for how long (in days) outside temperatures are above a fixed room temperature (at which there is a need for cooling); this information can be used to model energy consumption in buildings.

Indices for cooling degree days are weather-based indices designed to describe the need for cooling energy requirements in buildings. The information is derived from meteorological observations of air temperature, interpolated to regular grids that are 25 km by 25 km.

The cooling degree days (CDD) index measures the severity of the heat in a specific time period taking into consideration outdoor and average room temperatures (in other words, the need for cooling in a building). The calculation of CDD relies on a base temperature – the highest daily mean air temperature for which cooling isn’t required. The base temperature is set to a constant value of 24°C (above which, it is assumed cooling is required). The CDD index is evaluated for each day the temperature rises above this threshold, and is computed as the mean air temperature of the day in question minus 21°C. In other words, if the daily mean air temperature is 26°C, the value of the CDD index is 5 (26°C minus 21°C).

The source dataset is monthly information published by the JRC, available on the AGRI4CAST Resources Portal. Eurostat republishes the data and calculates annual figures by summing the monthly data. The results can be aggregated and presented at different NUTS levels or for individual EU countries.

Context

Broad environmental policies and actions

The EU is fully committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and has embarked on a transition towards a low-carbon, climate-neutral, resource-efficient and circular economy. The European Commission adopted the 1st EU Voluntary Review on progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (COM(2023) 700 final) in May 2023.

In December 2019, the European Commission announced the European Green Deal. It is the EU’s growth strategy to become a ‘modern, resource-efficient and sustainable economy’ – the 1st climate-neutral continent by 2050 – and is fully consistent with the SDGs. Climate neutrality implies only emitting as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere as can be absorbed by nature (forests, oceans and the soil). These net-zero ambitions imply that EU countries will have to drastically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and find ways of compensating for the remaining and unavoidable emissions. The Green Deal includes measures such as investing in environmentally friendly technologies, supporting innovation, helping the development of cleaner forms of transport, decarbonising the energy sector, ensuring buildings become more energy efficient and working internationally to improve standards around the world.

The Green Deal seeks to turn climate and environmental challenges into opportunities, for example, ensuring economic growth is decoupled from resource use with no person and no place left behind, cutting pollution, and restoring biodiversity. The EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ legislation provides legally binding climate targets for all key sectors of the economy. It sets out several objectives for 2030, including

a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions (compared with 1990)
a 42.5% share of energy from renewable sources and
an 11.7% improvement in energy efficiency (between 2024 and 2030).

In May 2022, Decision (EU) 2022/591 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030, otherwise referred to as the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) entered into force; it provides a legally agreed common agenda to guide the EU’s environmental policy. The 8th EAP calls for active engagement of all stakeholders at all levels of governance to ensure that EU climate and environment laws are effectively implemented. It forms the basis for the EU to contribute to the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. It has 6 priority objectives

achieving the greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050
enhancing adaptive capacity strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change
advancing towards a regenerative growth model, decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, and accelerating the transition to a circular economy
pursuing a zero-pollution ambition for air, water and soil and protecting the health and well-being of Europeans
protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity
reducing environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption (particularly in the areas of energy, industry, buildings and infrastructure, mobility, tourism, international trade and the food system).

The European Commission will monitor progress towards these objectives with the 8th EAP monitoring framework adopted in July 2022.

Climate change

The EU has been actively collaborating with global partners to promote and reinforce international efforts on climate change. It has played a pivotal role in negotiating and upholding environmental agreements such as the UN framework convention on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the EU works with countries on a bilateral basis, incorporating climate considerations into trade negotiations and sharing expertise to encourage actions against climate change. Financial support is also provided to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation and adaptation endeavours.

The European Climate Law establishes binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for net zero by 2050. The law sets an interim goal of reducing net emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. It mandates that all EU policies align with these objectives, ensuring every sector contributes to the effort, a principle known as ‘climate mainstreaming’. Progress towards the targets is assessed every 5 years and aligned with the global review process of the Paris Agreement. In 2023, the European Commission assessed progress towards the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality and adaptation objectives in a Climate Action Progress Report.

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 will be more challenging for some EU regions than for others. Regions may be more reliant on fossil fuels or have their local economies based on carbon-intensive industries. The EU has introduced a Just Transition Mechanism to provide targeted support to alleviate the socioeconomic impact of the transition and higher levels of investment to achieve the climate goals.

Solar

In May 2022, the European Commission adopted the EU Solar Energy Strategy (COM(2022) 221 final). It identifies barriers/challenges in the EU’s solar energy sector and outlines initiatives to deliver over 320 GW of solar photovoltaic power by 2025 and almost 600 GW by 2030.

The strategy presents a comprehensive vision for solar energy in the EU, outlining 4 initiatives

rapid and extensive deployment of photovoltaic systems through the European Solar Rooftops Initiative
streamline permit-granting procedures
emphasise the importance of having a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of solar energy production and deployment
establish an industry alliance to foster innovation and growth, particularly in the photovoltaic manufacturing sector.

Wind

In October 2023, the European Commission adopted 2 initiatives linked to wind power.

The European Wind Power Action Plan (COM(2023) 669 final) – its objective is to support EU businesses in the wind sector to ensure that the industry can play a key role in the EU’s green transition. It identifies the following actions: i) acceleration of deployment through increased predictability and faster permitting, ii) improved auction design, iii) access to finance, iv) creating a fair and competitive international environment, v) skills and vi) industry engagement and country commitments.
A communication about Delivering on the EU offshore renewable energy ambitions (COM(2023) 668 final) that confirmed the need to accelerate investment in offshore wind, as well as ocean energies.

Air pollution

The long-term objective of EU policymaking on air is to achieve levels of air quality that don’t result in unacceptable impacts on, and risks to, human health and the environment. In 2021, the European Commission adopted, as part of the European Green Deal, an EU Action Plan: ‘Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil’ (COM(2021) 400 final). More specifically, EU policies aim to reduce the number of premature deaths and sicknesses caused by air pollution and to reduce pollution pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity. The zero pollution action plan aims to reduce, by 2030, the number of premature deaths attributed to particulate matter by 55% (as compared with 2005).

Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants which entered into force on 31 December 2016 sets national emission reduction commitments for EU countries. These cover PM_2.5 and 4 other transboundary air pollutants that have a significative negative impact on human health and the environment.

In the Ambient Air Quality Directives, the EU set exposure reduction targets and limit values for various air pollutants. For PM_2.5, Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe set an average of 25 µg/m³ as the annual limit value and an annual average of 20 µg/m³ as an indicative limit value.

In 2021, the WHO published new air quality guidelines, whereby annual average concentrations of PM_2.5 shouldn’t exceed 5 µg/m³ in order to protect human health. As part of the European Green Deal, the EU is revising its air quality standards to align them more closely with the recommendations of the WHO. In October 2022, the European Commission made a proposal to revise the Ambient Air Quality Directives, including a new target whereby annual average concentrations for PM_2.5 shouldn’t exceed 10 µg/m³.

Environment statistics at regional level

Highlights

Full article

Climate change mitigation

Climate change impacts

Air quality

Source data for figures and maps

Data sources

European Environment Agency (EEA)

Joint Research Centre

Eurostat

Context

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