Clean environment is essential for human health. However, the interaction between the environment and human health is very complex and difficult to assess.
A sustainable economy needs a solid energy base that fossil fuels can not provide. But energy is essential for the creation of industrial, commercial and social wealth.However, its production and consumption exerts significant environmental pressures: greenhouse gases and emissions, land use, waste generation and oil spills. These pressures contribute to climate change, harm natural ecosystems and anthropogenic environment and have adverse effects on human health.
Most countries are based on fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) to meet energy demand. Combustion of these fuels releases heat that can be converted into energy. In this process, the carbon contained in the fuel reacts with oxygen, producing CO2, which is released into the atmosphere. Also, atmospheric pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates) are released, with consequent air quality impacts. However, thanks to technical measures and improvements in the power and heat generation units, these emissions have declined over the last decades.
The highest energy consumption in Europe was recorded in 2006. In 2010, energy consumption decreased around 4%. This decrease can be partly explained by the economic crisis, although to the slight release of economic activity from energy consumption has also contributed.
Fossil fuels still dominate the fuel mix: about 77% of the EU's energy needs are covered by oil, gas and coal. Nuclear power covers 14%, while the remaining 9% coming from renewable energy sources. However, renewable energy is rapidly gaining ground.
It is therefore reasonable that energy is an increasingly high policy priority. It is one of the five main development areas to which the Europe 2020 strategy aims to:
• 20% of Europe's energy consumption from renewable energy,
• 20% increase in energy efficiency.
Alongside the specific objectives of the 2020 Energy Strategy, there are various policies that address additional areas of interest, which are summarized on the Commission's website. Policies include:
improving security of supply,
Ensuring the competitiveness of the European economy and the availability of affordable energy,
encouraging the development of a competitive internal energy market,
Setting minimum levels of energy taxation.
(source: http://www.eea.europa.eu/el)
