Apart from cutting emissions contributing to acidification and phosphorus discharges to rivers, progress in reducing most environmental pressures has remained largely insufficient. Europe faces continued increases in energy and materials consumption, road and air transportation, urbanization, and degradation of rural areas. Although EU economies are becoming less energy-intensive, falling energy prices are threatening further reductions. Overall, an increasing demand for energy will generate more CO 2 emissions. The total projected growth of industry will more than offset any benefits from energy technology.
Transportation also presents a huge threat.
Large increases in freight and passenger vehicle use jeopardize climate change and air pollution goals. Road transport continues to gain over rail and inland shipping. More efficient engines are not enough to offset shifts toward bigger cars, increased car and air travel, and increases in kilometers traveled per person. Although there has been some progress, a lack of data that are comparable, compatible, and verifiable remains a serious problem. They generate excessive amounts of data on subjects, which do not need it, and they fail to provide timely and relevant information on other subjects where there is an urgent policy need for better-focused information, as well as consistent environmental assessment and reporting.