The European Union will not reach its environmental goals set for 2020 but can do so in 2030 and 2050 if it responds to the unprecedented challenges announced, the European Environment Agency (EEA) warned in its report on the “Environmental Status” on Wednesday, AFP reports.

Although European environment and climate policies have contributed to improving environmental conditions in recent decades, Europe is not making enough progress, and the outlook for the environment in the next decade is not positive, according to the report “European environment – current situation and 2020 prospects”, published in the context in which the Climate Summit (COP25) that began in Madrid on Monday.

“The European environment is at a critical point. We have little opportunity in the next decade to expand nature protection measures, reduce the impact of climate change, and radically reduce our consumption of natural resources,” said EEA Director Hans Bruyninckx.

To combat the alarming rate of loss of diversity, the increasing impact of climate change and the excessive consumption of natural resources, the EU must act urgently, the European Environment Agency stresses. Even if some efforts have been made, for example by reducing 22% of greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2017, as well as by increasing the share of renewable energy in energy consumption, these are not sufficient.

The European Environment Agency says that of the 13 diversity protection targets set for 2020, only two will be met next year: the designation of marine protected areas and terrestrial protected areas.