30 September 2025
The state of the environment in Europe is not good: threats to nature and the impacts of climate change constitute the main challenges
Significant progress has been made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, but the overall state of the environment in Europe is not good, especially concerning its nature, which continues to face degradation, overexploitation, and loss of biodiversity. The impacts of accelerated climate change also constitute an urgent challenge, according to the most comprehensive report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on 'the state of the environment,' published today. The outlook for most environmental trends is concerning and presents major risks to economic prosperity, safety, and quality of life in Europe.
The report emphasizes that climate change and environmental degradation pose a direct threat to Europe's competitiveness, which depends on natural resources. It adds that achieving climate neutrality by 2050 also depends on better and responsible management of land, water, and other resources. Protecting natural resources, mitigating and adapting to climate change, as well as reducing pollution, will strengthen the resilience of essential social functions that depend on nature, such as food security, clean water, and flood protection.
The report calls for the intensification of the implementation of policies and actions that support long-term sustainability, agreed meanwhile in the European Green Deal. These actions are in line with the priorities of the European Commission's Competitiveness Compass regarding innovation, decarbonization, and security.
The 2025 Environmental Report in Europe is the most comprehensive analysis of the current state and prospects for the environment, climate, and sustainability of the continent, based on data from 38 countries. The report highlights that the European Union is a global leader in climate efforts, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the use of fossil fuels, while doubling the share of renewable resources since 2005. Significant progress has also been made in improving air quality and increasing waste recycling and resource efficiency over the past 10-15 years. Progress in a range of factors enabling the transition towards sustainability – such as innovation, green jobs, and sustainable finance – is also encouraging.
Executive Vice President for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, stated: "This report is a strong reminder that Europe must continue efforts at the same pace and even accelerate our ambitions for climate and the environment. Recent extreme weather events show how fragile our prosperity and security become when nature is degraded and climate impacts are intensified. Delaying or postponing our climate goals will only increase costs, deepen inequalities, and undermine our resilience. Protecting nature has no price. It is an investment in the competitiveness, resilience, and well-being of our citizens. If we intensify our actions now, we can build a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable Europe for future generations."
The Commissioner for Environment, Water Sustainability and the Circular Competitive Economy of the European Union, Jessika Roswall, said: "While progress has been made, the state of our environment is a clear call to action to continue reducing pollution, restoring nature, and protecting biodiversity. We need to reconsider the link between the environment and the economy and view nature protection as an investment, not a cost. A healthy nature is the foundation of a healthy society, a competitive economy, and a sustainable world. For this reason, the EU is committed to continuing efforts at the same pace regarding our environmental commitments."
The Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero Emissions and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra, said: “This report reinforces the urgent need for the EU to continue with its strong climate ambitions. Europe, the continent that is warming fastest, has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of climate change, most recently through the severe fires that spread rapidly this summer. The costs of inaction are high, and climate change poses a direct threat to our competitiveness. Continuing efforts at the same pace is essential to protect our economy.”
EEA Executive Director Leena Ylä-Mononen stated: “We cannot lower our ambitions for climate, environment, and sustainability. Our state of the environment report, prepared together with 38 countries, clearly identifies the science-based knowledge and shows why we need to act. In the European Union, we have the policies, tools, and knowledge, as well as decades of joint working experience to achieve our sustainability goals. What we do today will shape our future.”
The complex challenges of the future
Biodiversity is declining in Europe’s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems due to ongoing pressures caused by unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, particularly observed in the food system. Looking to the future, the deterioration of biodiversity and ecosystems in Europe is expected to continue, while the agreed policy targets are unlikely to be met by 2030, the report states.
Thus, Europe’s water resources are under significant pressure, as water scarcity affects one third of Europe’s population and territory. Maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems, protecting catchment areas, and ensuring the replenishment of groundwater resources are essential to secure Europe’s future water sustainability, the report states.
As far as climate change is concerned, Europe is the continent that is warming the fastest on the planet. The climate is changing at an alarming rate, threatening security, public health, ecosystems, infrastructure, and the economy. The increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters, as well as the information that the climate will continue to change despite the EU's ambitious efforts to mitigate it, underline the urgent need to adapt European society and the economy, while ensuring that no one is left behind.
These major challenges require a reassessment of the links between our economy and the natural environment, land, water, and natural resources, the report notes. Only by restoring the natural environment in Europe will it be possible to maintain a competitive economy and a high quality of life for European citizens.
Escalation and intensification
The report states that the transformative change in production and consumption systems - decarbonization of the economy, transition towards circularity, pollution reduction, and responsible management of natural resources - is urgently needed. EU policies, including the European Green Deal, offer a clear path towards sustainability.
The report specifically highlights efforts to restore habitats through nature-based solutions, which will build resilience and also contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. It also emphasizes the need to decarbonize key economic sectors, especially transport, as well as to address emissions from the agricultural sector. Increasing circulation has the potential to reduce Europe's dependence on energy and critical raw material imports. Furthermore, by investing in the green and digital transition of European industry, Europe can improve productivity and become a global leader in green innovation, developing technologies to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries in this regard, such as the steel and cement industries.
History
The EEA publishes a report on the state of the environment every five years, as stipulated in its regulation. Environment in Europe 2025 is the 7th such report published by the EEA since 1995. It provides reliable and science-based information on how we should respond to the major and complex challenges we face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and air and water pollution. The report was prepared in close cooperation with the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) of the EEA. The report is based on the extensive experience of leading environmental experts and scientists of Eionet in the 32 EEA member countries and six cooperating countries.