European Environment Agency

06/03/2026

🔊Too loud to ignore: traffic noise is hurting our physical and our .

From sleepless nights to heart disease and depression, transport noise impacts millions across Europe and harm both our bodies and minds.

👉 See what the data reveal in our latest LinkedIn article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-traffic-noise-really-doing-your-body-ll5ye

05/03/2026

The introduction of the EU's second ‘cap and trade’ emissions trading system (ETS2) will help spur Europe’s decarbonisation ambitions, shifting to cleaner fuels and technologies for road transport and buildings, as well as improve energy efficiency, according to two EEA briefings out today.

The assessments examine the opportunities and challenges brought on by the introduction of the ETS2 for the road transport sector and for the buildings sector.

🟢 Providing early financial support to vulnerable households & businesses,
🟢 policy coherency,
🟢 strong public backing,
🟢 transparency and clear communication

will be key to the success of ETS2.

Find out more: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/social-fairness-key-to-success-of-the-eus-new-ets2-cap-and-trade-system

04/03/2026

🟢 The EEA is hiring!

We are looking for an expert on climate and agriculture to support the Agency's work on GHG emission reductions and carbon removals in the agricultural sector.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) is organising an open competition with a view to establishing a reserve list of experts to work in the field of climate change mitigation and agriculture. Candidates from relevant disciplines, including agriculture, environmental/climate science and economics, are encouraged to apply.

🔗 Find out more about the opening and selection criteria: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0sfYFf0

⏰ Deadline for applications - no later than 7 April 2026 at 23:59 (CEST).

The place of work will be Copenhagen, Denmark - come join us!

03/03/2026

🧠🌍New EEA briefing: Pollution exposure linked to depression, anxiety and su***de risk.

Mental health disorders are among the leading causes of disease burden in Europe. While their origins are complex, a growing body of scientific evidence points to pollution as a contributing risk factor.

Our latest briefing, Pollution and mental health: current scientific evidence, finds that:
🔹 Long-term exposure to air pollution (PM2.5 and NO₂) is linked to a higher risk of depression
🔹 Road-traffic and aircraft noise are associated with increased risks of anxiety, depression and su***de
🔹 Early-life exposure to certain chemicals is linked to adverse mental health outcomes later in life

While further research is needed to clarify causality, the evidence strengthens the case for reducing pollution and fully implementing EU environmental legislation.

Reducing pollution is not only about protecting ecosystems. It may also contribute to improving mental wellbeing across Europe.

Read more: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/exposure-to-pollution-linked-to-depression-anxiety-and-other-mental-health-issues

01/03/2026

Europe’s Environment 2025 warns that seagrass beds are rapidly disappearing in Europe’s marine environment. Pollution, over fishing and climate change are all contributing to their degradation, threatening marine biodiversity and coastal fisheries.

Carbon sequestration, habitat for fish and protection of coastlines are some of the important ecosystem services that seagrasses provide. Because of this restoring seagrass beds (and other marine habitats like sediment bottoms) are defined as a key target of the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

28/02/2026

Putting together our flagship report, Europe’s Environment, is a bit like solving a giant puzzle 🧩… and we need your piece to make the picture complete!

Last year, we published our major report on the state of Europe’s environment, produced every five years. We were pleased to see how well it was received and how widely it was used.

But every good puzzle needs a final step. An essential part of creating such a comprehensive report is stepping back, gathering feedback, and seeing how the next edition can be even stronger.
How would you rate Europe’s Environment?
We would greatly appreciate your input: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0s8H9w0

26/02/2026

Are you our next expert in biodiversity and nature? 🌿 💚

There are only a few days left until the 3 March deadline to apply. This time, we are particularly looking for experts in the following areas:

🔹 Agriculture

🔹 Pollinators

🔹 Urban sustainability

🔹 Birds

🔹 Integrated biodiversity and nature assessments (including economics)

🔹 Protected areas

Does your heart beat a little faster for any of these topics? We look forward to receiving your application.

Please read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. For example, you must be a national of one of the EEA member countries.

🔗https://jobs.eea.europa.eu/jobs/expert-%E2%80%93-biodiversity-and-nature-129

25/02/2026

🏭 Industrial transformation is essential for Europe’s energy-intensive industries

Emissions from energy-intensive industries have fallen substantially over the past two decades — greenhouse gas emissions by around 42%, dioxins by 63%, nickel by 64% and NOx by 55% — but the external costs of pollution still amount to €73 billion per year.

A new EEA briefing shows that further progress depends on pathways such as:
⚡ Decarbonisation (especially electrification)
🔄 Circular economy approaches
📜 Full implementation of EU legislation

Steel, cement, chemicals and other energy-intensive sectors are strategic for Europe’s competitiveness. Transforming them can cut emissions, reduce pollution and strengthen resilience — at the same time.

🔗 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/newsroom/news/industrial-transformation-key-to-cutting-emissions-and-pollution-further-in-europes-energy-intensive-industries

24/02/2026

How do we communicate our knowledge and data in the best way possible?

We work with numbers every day. 🔢 Percentages. Trends. Confidence intervals. 📈📉📊

But numbers are never just numbers.

They represent ecosystems, communities, risks…

We often try to tell the story through numbers.

But what do they really mean?

See what’s behind each number. 👇

19/02/2026

What impact could a circular economy have on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions?

The deployment of a circular economy in Europe could lead to substantial reductions in emissions according to a new EEA briefing out today.

The provides information about the interlinkages between circular economy and climate change mitigation and is based on a literature review of recent modelling results.

It supports the 2025 and 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan.

🟢 The results show that boosting reuse and recycling of materials and products in the economy can deliver significant emissions reductions.

🟢 It also demonstrates the growing awareness of the key role that the circular economy can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Find out more: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/assessing-the-climate-mitigation-potential-of-circular-economy

18/02/2026

18/02/2026

🌍 The air you breathe can depend on your postcode.

In many European capitals, air pollution levels vary significantly from one neighbourhood to another — shaping unequal exposure for people who live, study or work there.

As part of our work on environmental inequalities, the European Environment Agency has developed a new interactive 3D viewer in the Environment and Health Atlas.

🔎 What does it show?
Average annual levels of key air pollutants — PM2.5, NO₂ and Ozone — across metropolitan areas of the EU-27 capitals, at a high spatial resolution of 1 × 1 km.
Users can:
▪ Select a pollutant
▪ Choose an EU capital
▪ Switch between 2D and 3D views
▪ Click on any grid cell to see the average annual concentration
▪ Identify specific areas through marked points of interest

The 3D visualisation makes spatial inequalities visible — showing how pollution patterns differ within cities, and why that matters for environmental equity and public health.
Explore the viewer in our Environment and Health Atlas: https://discomap.eea.europa.eu/atlas/?page=Air-pollution&views=3D-Pollution-in-European-capitals
For feedback, contact: ehatlas@eea.europa.eu