Environment and climate action
The EU’s environmental and climate policies aim to reduce emissions, protect natural ecosystems, and promote sustainability. These policies play a key role in shaping a greener future by addressing environmental risks, enhancing resource efficiency, and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. Their success depends on effective implementation, sufficient funding, and ongoing evaluation to assess impact and identify gaps.
In this edition of ECA Insights, we explore recent and upcoming audit reports on climate and environmental action, addressing pressing challenges such as climate adaptation, urban and seawater pollution, forest wildfires, municipal waste management, and commuter mobility in metropolitan areas. The European Court of Auditors (ECA) examines whether the related EU funds have been effectively allocated and used, assesses the effectiveness of the related EU policies, and identifies areas for improvement, helping to ensure that financial resources contribute to tangible environmental and climate outcomes for the EU citizens.
Addressing climate and pollution challenges across the EU
Regarding climate change and pollution, our findings from recent reports highlight key areas for improvement and offer recommendations to enhance the impact of EU-funded projects and policies.
Special report 15/2024: Climate adaptation in the EU. Extreme weather events are on the rise, making climate adaptation more urgent than ever. Our audit found that while a solid adaptation framework is in place, weaknesses remain when it comes to implementation: some projects effectively addressed climate risks, but others had little impact – or even risked maladaptation. We recommended better reporting, knowledge-sharing, and ensuring all EU-funded projects are climate-resilient.
Special report 02/2025: Urban pollution in the EU. Air and noise pollution pose health risks, especially in big cities. Our audit found that while air quality is improving, standards are still not consistently met. Cities also remain much too noisy, with no EU-wide noise reduction targets to drive action. We recommended stronger measures to reduce harmful noise levels.
Special report 06/2025: EU actions tackling sea pollution by ships. Ship-source pollution threatens marine ecosystems, vital for biodiversity and CO2 absorption. Our audit found some progress, but also serious weaknesses in enforcement and implementation. Despite EU funding, member states haven’t fully used the tools they dispose of or met inspection targets for ships. We recommended stricter monitoring, better reporting, and scaling up EU-funded projects to safeguard our seas.
Upcoming reports on environmental and climate action
As part of our ongoing efforts to assess EU actions on environmental and climate issues, we have several important reports in the pipeline. These audits, set to be released in the coming months, will provide insights into how effectively the EU is working toward its sustainability goals.
Forest wildfires. Forests cover about 39% of the EU’s land area, with over a thousand fires burning an average of 353 000 hectares each year, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere and threatening biodiversity and human health. Our audit evaluates whether the EU funding for wildfire prevention, preparedness and recovery is effectively managed. For more information on this topic, you can also have a look on our previous audit on forest damage from fires and natural disasters, published over a decade ago.
Municipal waste management. In 2021, Europeans produced an average of 527 kg of municipal waste per person, with half of it recycled or prepared for reuse, 26% incinerated, and about 23% landfilled. Incineration alone accounted for 16% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This audit assesses whether the European Commission and the EU member states have taken effective action to meet the EU’s waste management goals.
EU support for increasing sustainable commuter mobility around large metropolitan areas. In 2020, 75% of EU citizens lived in urban areas, a figure expected to rise to 85% by 2050. As urban mobility impacts millions, our audit examines EU efforts to support sustainable transport for commuters in large cities with over 1.5 million residents.
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