Easing up on the nitrate standard for drinking water not yet warranted
Why nitrate in vegetables and fruit is harmless for humans, while it can be harmful in drinking water is outlined in a recent scientific article. There is evidence, albeit scarce, that nitrate in...
In 2005, the emission of the greenhouse gas carbondioxide (CO2) was lower by several percents compared to 2004. Mainly, because the energy sector used less fossil fuels, and more (+ 40%) renewable...
MNP air quality assessments reap international praise
Recent evaluation by the international audit committee of the models used by MNP (Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency) to assess air quality in the Netherlands and analyse policy effects has...
The Water Framework Directive: challenges and chances for the Netherlands
The European Water Framework Directive stipulates that the quality of groundwater and surface water in the Netherlands should have attained an ecologically adequate level by 2015. A major national...
How to compare environmental performance of EU Member States
There is a growing need for comparative indicators to measure Member State’s environmental performance. To fulfill this need, MNP has developed the European Benchmark Indicators (EBI) to draw...
Article about the new version of the Map Comparison Kit
A new version of the Map Comparison Kit can be downloaded free of charge from the RIKS website. This is one of the novelties in the article, published in the Journal of Environmental Modeling and...
Climate change policies beneficial for European air quality
European climate change action will benefit air pollution abatement by 2030, with costs for controlling emissions dropping by EUR 10 billion per year. Reduced emissions will lead to a fall in damage...
EU action plan on biodiversity: apply existing instruments more effectively
Effective actions for the Netherlands to meet the targets of the EU action plan could be the further integration of nature area conservation with wider countryside management and improvement of...
Trade-offs and synergies between energy security, economy, and the environment
Sustainable energy policies are needed in Europe to reduce air pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. This quick scan shows that climate mitigation strategies also reduce air pollution and increase...
Biodiversity further deteriorates in the next 50 year
Biodiversity loss will remain unabatedly high up to 2050, with a moderate economic growth and an increase of the world population from 6 to about 9 billon for whom the average per capita income will...