As part of a sustainable development strategy
for the EU, it is necessary to develop a set of clear targets,
indicators and timetables for reaching milestone objectivesafter
10, 20 and 30 years. Therefore the EEB proposes "Ten Benchmarks
for Environmental Integration". Ten targets should give guidance
for environmental, economic and sectoral policies, and should
be accompanied by clear indicators and timetables to express the
dimension of the requirements for policy shifts and make monitoring
progress possible. The headline indicators are symbols for the
overall environmental performance of the economy, using clear
targets for benchmarking. They should be easily understandable
and relate to what lay personsthe public as well as policymakerscan
grasp.
Indicator | Timetable
| Final Target |
Environment and Health |
| |
Air quality
Emissions of 4 pollutants (SOx, NOx, NH3, VOCs)
| Medium term: reductions of 84 per cent for SO2, 55% for NOx, 29% for NH3 and 60% for VOC compared to 1990 levels by 2010. [3]
| Good air quality within 30 years. The critical loads for the pollutants and the WHO standards for air pollutants with respect to human health should not be exceeded anymore. [4]
|
Water quality
Percentage of clean surface waters
| Immediate compliance with existing legislation. Proposed Water Framework Directive should aim at attaining good surface water status until 2010.3
| 100% of inland waters with natural chemical background values
|
Climate change
Total CO2 and five other greenhouse gas emissions (CH4, N20, HFCs, PFCs, SF6)
| Short term: full implementation of "Kyoto"3 Medium term: reduction should be reached of 30% to 2010 and 55% to 2020.
| By 2030 more than 75% reduction of current greenhouse gas emissions.
|
Hazardous substances
An index of released hazardous substances weighted according to toxicity (has yet to be introduced)
| Medium term: halve all releases in 2010 compared to 1995.
| By 2020 no human made releases4 |
Land use and Biodiversity
Land use
Amount of built up areas compared to total area
| See final target | Net stabilisation of non built up areas ni 2000, allowing for some mitigation and exchange between different areas
|
Biodiversity
Bio-diversity index based on genetic and habitat variety (has yet to be developed)
| Effective implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy by 20003
| A halt to habitat decline and the extinction of species in the EU4
|
Resource Use
Water use
Total water use and percentage of natural replenishment
| Sustainable water use by 2010[5]
| Adequate natural replenishment in 100% of use in water sources
|
Material use
Total material use and waste production incl. Percentage of reused or recycled material
| Short term: stabilisation of waste generation at 1985 levels (actual reduction)3
| Within 30 years a Factor 10 lower primary non-renewable material use, with material recycling and re-use above 95%, resulting in untreated waste going to landfill towards 0.
|
Crucial Sectors
Transport
Total passenger-and tonkilometres travelled and total energy consumption
| Short term: the necessary pre-conditions to reverse the current trends need to be in place within five years.
| Within 30 years stabilisation of total distances (pkm/tkm) travelled and halving of total energy consumption (level 2000)
|
Agriculture
Pesticides usage (tonnes of active ingredients weighted according to toxicity)
| Short term: halve pesticide usage within 10 years. [6]
| no use of pesticides that are not allowed for organic farming by 2020
|
| | |