The European Environment Agency (EEA) finds that global environmental impacts of a country's consumption are increasingly the focus of policy debate and initiatives, that resource efficiency could be strengthened through an increased focus on production, and that economic instruments should be used to change consumption behavior.
11 October 2011: The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a report on approaches to resource efficiency in Europe, based on a survey of individual countries’ policies in 31 member and cooperating countries of the EEA network (Eionet).
The report, titled “Resource efficiency in Europe — Policies and approaches in 31 EEA member and cooperating countries,” is based on a detailed survey conducted during the first half of 2011, and aims to facilitate sharing of experiences and good practice. It explores similarities and differences in policies, strategies, indicators and targets, policy drivers, institutional set-up and information gaps. The report is accompanied by individual country profiles, available on the EEA website.
Among the conclusions of the report, the EEA highlights that: global environmental impacts of a country’s consumption are increasingly the focus of policy debate and initiatives; resource efficiency could be strengthened through an increased focus on products (and thus also on consumption); and economic instruments should be used to change consumption behavior. [EEA Press Release] [Publication: Resource Efficiency in Europe: Policies and Approaches in 31 EEA Member and Cooperating Countries] [Country Profiles]