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Europe’s leading scientists work together in EASAC – the European Academies Science Advisory Council, comprising the Academies of Science of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, theUK, the Academia Europaea and ALLEA.
Europe’s
leading
scientists
work
together
in
EASAC
–
the
European
Academies
Science
Advisory
Council,
comprising
the
Academies
of
Science
of
the
EU,
Switzerland,
Norway,
the
UK, the Academia Europaea and ALLEA.
We provide independent, empirical, and future-oriented policy advice for European lawmakers.
Challenge 01
Delivering secure, sustainable and affordable
energy for European citizens and businesses.
energy for European citizens and businesses.
Security of Sustainable Energy Supplies
Problem: In the context of increased geopolitical instability, secure and affordable energy supplies are at risk. The EU lacks diversity of supplies and the capacity to act more autonomously. New threats including cyber- and other malicious attacks on the EU energy system continue to grow.
Energy Dependency Rate
% of net imports in gross available energy, based on Terajoules
Source: Eurostat, Year 2021
Response: EASAC has brought together 27 scientists from 21 European countries to work on “Security of Sustainable Energy Supplies”. Our report will be published in Spring 2025.
Energy security has many different facets – from meeting the rapidly changing needs of domestic and industrial consumers by delivering sustainable energy supplies from many different sources across the EU to protecting energy systems from cyber and other malicious attacks.
The Role of Natural Gas
Problem: Natural gas is widely expected to replace coal on the road to net-zero emissions by 2050. However, methane leaks, which occur along many natural gas supply chains, have a global warming potential of 80 times that of carbon dioxide over 20 years, ie between now and 2050.
Deep-sea Mining for Critical Minerals for the Energy Transition
Problem: Renewable energy installations, storage solutions and electric vehicles require significant amounts of critical minerals, e.g. lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and rare earth elements (REEs).
An emerging new extractive industry argues that the hunger for rare minerals cannot be satisfied by terrestrial resources and plans to mine the deep seabed.
An emerging new extractive industry argues that the hunger for rare minerals cannot be satisfied by terrestrial resources and plans to mine the deep seabed.
Response: Europe’s science academies warn of the dire consequences on marine ecosystems and challenge the business case for deep-sea mining on any scale – at least until recycling potentials have been fully explored. Having examined forecasts, EASAC is sceptical that deep-sea mining is necessary to cover the needs for critical materials.
Forest Biomass for Energy
Problem: Burning primary wood increases CO2 in the atmosphere until enough new trees have grown to reabsorb it. Benefitting from substantial subsidies, the massive expansion of biomass use has also been a driver of deforestation in many places worldwide.
Response: Burning forest biomass for energy must stop. Even when bioenergy is equipped with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), scientists have shown it to be an ineffective solution which does not deserve public funding.
Subsidies should be limited to renewables such as PV, wind, hydro, geothermal or biomass waste that reduce CO2 emissions within the short time left to keep global warming below 1.5 – 2.0 °C.
Challenge 02
Increasing the EU’s agricultural resilience to external shocks and transition to sustainable food systems capable of feeding a growing population.
Regenerative Agriculture and Pesticides Use
Problem: Farmers are the first hit by climate change. Their livelihood and ability to produce food are under pressure. The intensification of land use has devastating effects on biodiversity. Yet, it is often argued that measures to fight global warming and to restore nature are threatening food security.
Response: From the scientific perspective, this is a “false dilemma”. Food safety, climate protection and nature restoration are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, sustainable agri-food systems are key to food security. Healthy soil better stores carbon. This is a precondition for safeguarding agricultural yields and the welfare of our farmers.
Wildfire Prevention
Problem: With climate change, all our European landscapes from forests to grasslands and even urban areas are threatened by more and more intense wildfires.
Response: Wildfires are merely a symptom of the degradation of nature. This is why Europe’s green transformation must stay high on the EU’s agenda. EASAC’s Report on Wildfires gives recommendations for a fire-adapted and fire-literate Europe.
New Genomic Techniques
Problem: Soaring prices and shortages have marked the food market over the last two years. The Russian war on Ukraine is taking its toll on food security; extreme weather events and rising temperatures are taking theirs on crop yield and quality.
Response: Novel plant breeding techniques provide a basis for potential improvement of crops to be more climate-resilient, resistant to pests and diseases, and nutrient-enriched.
There is a societal cost of not using New Genomic Techniques or delaying their adoption. NGTs have great potential in developing resilient, high-yield, and environmentally sustainable crop varieties, and they could contribute to addressing many of today’s complex climate change, food security, and environmental sustainability challenges.
Meat Alternatives
Problem: Protein production and consumption are crucial issues for the EU and the world. Meat production — both livestock and animal feed – is responsible for approximately 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production. As the EU is highly dependent on protein imports, the world’s increasing demand for proteins and the high consumption of meat in Europe call for exploring alternatives.
Response: A forthcoming revision of the EU Protein Strategy could lend greater prominence to alternative and plant-based proteins in human nutrition that could bring both environmental and health benefits. A report from top European scientists is underway to assess their potential to increase the EU’s food autonomy and generate environment and health gains.
Challenge 03
Keeping Europe’s citizens healthy, bolster future preparedness and equip health policy for future needs.
Public Health: Crisis Preparedness and Response
Problem: Multiple global threats such as pandemics, climate change and rising antimicrobial resistance are threatening the health of people within and outside Europe. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for better preparedness and response. Other health risks are climate change and rising antimicrobial resistance.
Response: EASAC’s pioneering reports have proposed ways the scientific community can contribute to preparing for and fighting against these global threats. In 2007, EASAC scientists warned about the devastating effects of the lack of new antibiotics and rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in 2008, they warned authorities to „prepare for the emergence of a new disease“, and in 2019, they urged European policymakers to take climate action to protect human health.
Plastic Pollution
Problem: Plastics are present everywhere – not only in food, air and water, but also in human brains, blood, penises and placentas. Scientists are sounding the alarm on a global emergency. Yet, with current policies, global plastic waste is expected to nearly triple by 2060.
Response: We have ample proof of the destructive pathways of microplastics through the ecosystem, but the effects on humans are not yet even understood. EASAC scientists urge Europe and the World to reduce plastics pollution by 80% by 2040 and move to a fully circular economy.
Safe and Efficacious
Medical Products
Problem: Across Europe, many people use homoeopathic products and some are offered unapproved treatments (e.g., some unscrupulous clinics offering unregulated stem cell treatments). Their use is often inadequately regulated and lacks a robust evidence base. This risks harming patients and other consumers of these products.
Response: Science calls for consistent standards for generating and using evidence to ensure that medical products are safe and efficacious. The EU must ensure that existing as well as new products are subject to these consistent standards to protect the health of patients and other consumers.