News
An overview of all new items related to this dossier.
Environmental policy needs more decisive action
Based on joint modelling by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency the Environmental Outlook to 2050 looks ahead to the year 2050 to ascertain what demographic and economic trends might mean for the environment.
15-03-2012
Proposed greening of the CAP: only small gains
The impact of the proposed greening measures of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the sustainable development of agriculture appears to be relatively small. Member States must assign 30 percent of their Pillar I budget to these measures, a total annual amount of 13 billion euros. Greening measures could be made more effective by tailoring the proposed ecological focus areas to local conditions and by promoting the formation of a green infrastructure.
22-02-2012
Greening of EU agricultural subsidies will slow down decline of biodiversity
‘Greening’ the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as proposed by the EC, will slow down the decline in farmland biodiversity, most notably in intensive farming areas. Extensively farmed areas are better served by policies preserving their rich biodiversity. Regional variation in policies tailored to reflect local conditions could, therefore, result in a better outcome.
18-08-2011
Environment and poverty require a global perspective
Climate change, overexploitation of fish stocks, land erosion and resource scarcities are examples of environmental issues that require globally coordinated solutions. This is in the interest both of developing countries and of the Netherlands.
16-06-2011
Meat, dairy and fish: options for changes in production and consumption
Average consumption of meat, dairy and fish has increased strongly over the last fifty years in the European Union. Today’s consumption is twice the world average. Current preferences of European consumers lead to a range of negative impacts, such as extensive land use, biodiversity loss and human health risks.
28-04-2011
What is the economic value of biodiversity?
The economic value of biodiversity is an important subject at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Nagoya. Monday 25 October was dedicated to discussing the international study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB). According to Pavan Sukhdev, Study Leader of the TEEB: economic invisibility of nature is a problem that should be solved.
29-10-2010
Continuing biodiversity loss predicted, but could be slowed
A new analysis of several major global studies of future species shifts and losses foresees inevitable continuing decline of biodiversity during the 21st century. However, it offers new hope that it could be slowed if emerging policy choices are pursued.
29-10-2010
Producers hold the key to halt biodiversity loss
Dutch demand for products from tropical regions is influential in the rapid decline of local plant and animal species (biodiversity) in those regions. These are not only products such as palm oil, coffee, wood, or soy for animal feed, but also meat and fish, all delivered to us via trade chains. Some of these products are consumed directly, while others are used in the production of export goods. Examples of such exported end products are wood products and meat (with imported animal feed used in the production of the latter).
19-10-2010
Global ecosystems heavily under pressure; the PBL identifies new strategies for the COP10 in Nagoya
The mere protection of valuable nature areas, although still necessary, will not be sufficient for reducing global biodiversity loss in the coming decades. To strongly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss, structural changes in consumption and production are needed. A reduction in meat consumption would be of great benefit. In addition, changes are needed especially in agriculture, forestry, fishery and in the supply of energy.
05-10-2010
Increasing the adaptive capacity of ecosystems can make them climate-proof
Nature areas in the Netherlands are vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. Under implementation of the current nature policy, sustainable conservation of all plant- and animal species in all areas will not be feasible. Nature policy could be more effective when aimed at increasing nature's adaptive capacity.
30-09-2010
Integration of Ecosystem Goods and Services into international policies as opportunity to reduce poverty
This study shows how local delivery of ecosystem goods and services (EGS) is closely linked to international policies on development cooperation, trade, climate change and reform of international financial institutions. Integrating or mainstreaming EGS considerations into these policies provides significant opportunities to contribute to reducing poverty while simultaneously improving the quality of local EGS.
05-08-2010
Serious indirect effects of some biofuels on global biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions
Many biofuels that are presently sold on the European transport market need agricultural land for their production. Effects from indirect land-use change (ILUC) have a negative impact, not only on greenhouse gases as has been reported earlier, but also on global biodiversity. The overall emission reductions for biofuels based on energy crops can be low or even negative. These are some of the conclusions from a series of brief reports published by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on the issue of indirect effects of bio-energy.
31-05-2010
The land use effects of biofuels lead to biodiversity loss
The objective of using biofuels is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the long term, this can reduce the negative impact of climate change on biodiversity. Several biofuels are grown in existing agricultural areas. This will indirectly lead to loss of natural area on the short term through transfer of current production to other world regions. Assessing the balance between short-term losses and long-term gains for biodiversity shows that it may take decades to centuries before losses are compensated for by long-term gains.
27-05-2010
By-products of biofuels reduce indirect land-use change
The cultivation of energy crops on arable land may lead to the displacement of food crops and to indirect land-use change (ILUC) with biodiversity loss and extra greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the energy crops for biofuels deliver feed as by-products, reducing the land use for feed production elsewhere, and thereby substantially reducing these negative indirect effects.
02-04-2010
Agricultural intensification may restrict indirect effects of bio-energy
Agricultural intensification has the potential to reduce indirect land-use change from biofuels. If such intensification is realised only by applying more fertiliser, this may lead to substantial indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Improvement of fertiliser-use efficiency is essential to prevent these emissions.
02-04-2010
Website GLOBIO model fully renewed
The GLOBIO model is a tool to assess past, present and future human impact on biodiversity. As a policy tool, it is regularly applied in global, regional and national assessments. The GLOBIO model is the result of a collaboration between the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and UNEP/GRID-Arendal. The renewed website provides information on the workings of the model and its applications.
22-03-2010
Interaction nitrogen deposition with climate change and loss of biodiversity
The CCE Status Report 2009 demonstrates that effects of nitrogen deposition are interrelated with the change of climate and biodiversity. The report proposes indicators, modelling methodologies and results addressing critical loads, dynamics of ecosystem recovery and changes of plant species diversity to support integrated policies for mitigating air pollution and the change of biodiversity and climate.
18-03-2010
Indirect effects of bio-energy worrisome
Bio-energy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Indirect effects might partly or even completely undo this advantage. Indirect land use change (ILUC) – leading to emissions and loss of nature – is an important example, but there are other indirect effects, as well.
18-02-2010
Release GISMO User Support System 1.0
05-11-2009
Getting into the Right Lane for 2050
Reasoning back from 2050, specific strategic actions are identified for the EU in the coming five to ten years. Key factors in the analysis are the magnitude and inherent slow pace of change. The European Union is placed in a visionary global perspective for 2050 of producing food for a global population of nine billion, while minimising biodiversity loss; mitigating climate change, while enhancing energy security; and developing a low-carbon transport system for the EU.
29-10-2009
Averting global environmental problems is feasible and affordable
Current trends in fossil-fuel use and inefficient land use will lead to large global environmental problems with respect to climate change and biodiversity loss. Technical and economically feasible options are available to meet the challenge to avoid these problems. The main issue is that of creating institutional and policy conditions for a more sustainable economy.
26-10-2009
Sustainability Monitor for the Netherlands 2009
In many respects, the Netherlands is a prosperous country, where public health, average incomes and education levels all have increased considerably since the Second World War. People trust each other and trust national institutions. From a sustainable development perspective, attention needs to be directed towards areas of employment and an ageing population, knowledge, and social cohesion. However, the major ‘Concerns for Tomorrow’ are environmentally oriented.
21-10-2009
Climate benefits of changing diet
13-02-2009
Land becomes increasingly scarce
Global targets for development and the environment will not be achieved if current trends are to continue. Analyses in IPCC Climate Change 2007, UNEP Global Environment Outlook 4, OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030 and the IAASTD Agriculture Assessment all show that swift action is needed, worldwide, to achieve the internationally set targets. From the assessments, land use emerges as a new theme for international policy, as the competition over land is growing.
10-09-2008
Bioenergy has long-term potential
Potentially, biomass can make a major contribution to the global energy demand in the long term. In 2050, possibly 25-40% of future world energy demand could be produced by making use of crop residues and the production of specific energy crops. It has been taken into account that negative effects occur on food supply, nature reserves and the availability of water. The challenge is to use this potential in a sustainable way.
11-06-2008
Policy gap will have large consequences for biodiversity
The 2010 targets for biodiversity will not be reached under continuation of the present biodiversity policies. The absence of additional biodiversity policies could come at a considerable price, sometime in the future. That is because natural systems will no longer be able to supply valuable services, such as carbon storage in forests and the supply of sufficient amounts of clean freshwater. In short, this is the outcome of a research programme presented today at the 9th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Bonn.
29-05-2008
International Environmental Policy stands no chance without Brazil, Russia, India and China
05-03-2008
Current biofuels do not add to the sustainability of transport
The climate has more to gain from converting biomass into electricity, than to use it to replace petrol or diesel. Therefore, proposals to replace current transport fuels by biofuels are not the best investment in sustainability. This is shown in the report “Local and global consequences of the EU renewable directive for biofuels: testing the sustainability criteria”, by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. The findings from this study will be presented to the European Parliament, today.
04-03-2008
Beyond GDP: measuring progress, true wealth and the well-being of nations
The EU’s fundamental purpose has always been to prevent another war in Europe. Economic prosperity and integration are means to that end. However, over the years, a misunderstanding has crept in, as if market-oriented competiveness were the overriding objective. Success of EU policies should be measured against a wider ambition and on a longer timescale. A high-profile conference in Brussels, 19-20 November 2007, will revisit the issue of goals and measurement of progress. President Barroso is to deliver the keynote speech.
15-11-2007
