Sustainability in practice: report on the quality of life in Europe

Citation

Filho, W.L. (2014), "Sustainability in practice: report on the quality of life in Europe", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 15 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-09-2013-0125

Sustainability in practice: report on the quality of life in Europe

Article Type: News from the net From: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 15, Issue 1

A new report produced by the European Environment Agency (EEA), states that Europe’s environment is now healthier on the one hand (which means life quality has increased), but new risks are emerging, on the other.

Europeans live longer and healthier lives than in the past, partly due to successful environmental policies that have reduced the exposure to harmful environmental contaminants in air, water and food, according to a new report. However, these contaminants are still a problem, and several new health risks are emerging, for example, from new chemicals, new products and changing lifestyle patterns.

The environment affects human health in multiple ways, according to the report "Environment and Human Health" published by the EEA and the European Commission’s in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre. While pollutants, noise and other forms of environmental degradation can be harmful, the report underlines the large benefits of access to natural environments for physical and mental well-being.

Europe’s "health gap"

There is large disparity in the environmental conditions across Europe, which is often reflected in different levels of health and life expectancy, according to the report. People with low social status often live in degraded or harmful environments, with potential negative effects on health. Their condition may be further influenced by other factors, including socio-economic status, life style habits and general health status.

As people live longer, the main causes of premature death and disability have become non-communicable, "lifestyle"-related conditions, such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. In so far as these problems may be linked to environmental conditions, it has become increasingly important to address all these issues together, the report says.

People are usually exposed to multiple environmental factors throughout their lives, and more research is needed to understand the impacts, the report says, especially for the most vulnerable in society – including children, the poor and the elderly.

Science needs to move away from focusing on individual hazards and look instead at the complex, combined effects environmental and lifestyle factors are having on our health, the report says. Further details are available at: http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/europe2019s-environment-now-healthier-2013

Walter Leal Filho

Faculty of Life Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany