Press releases and news

UN report on air quality shows both progress and challenges
Coordinated action under UNECE Air Convention during the last 30 years has significantly improved air quality in North America and Europe – but more efforts are needed. Despite significant improvements, air pollution continues to be a major threat to the environment and human health. Within the EU air pollution is causing 400,000 premature deaths each year – ten times more than deaths from traffic accidents.  

Automated sorting will increase recycling of textiles
Every year 4.3 million tonnes of textile waste is used in the EU as landfill or incinerated. Over 120 000 tonnes of new textiles are injected into the Swedish market, but just barely 5 percent is recycled. This is far too little according to IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, which together with ten other actors will develop and test automated sorting; in order to facilitate high-quality textile recycling.

Smart indicators to measure the resilience of important social services
A new EU project – Smart resilience indicators for smart critical infrastructures – will develop indicators to measure resilience, meaning how susceptible vital public services such as transportation, health care, industry and drinking water supply are to interference.

Natural leaching of phosphorus greater than Sweden’s emissions target
The natural phosphorus load exceeds Sweden’s emissions target. This is revealed in a new report based on the hitherto most accurate mapping of Sweden's emissions of eutrophic substances into the Baltic and North Seas. Of a total of 780 tonnes of phosphorus that reaches the Baltic each year, 370 tonnes is due to natural leakage.