Environment and Food Safety: Home

What Will the European Climate Look Like in the Future? A Climate Analog Analysis Accounting for Dependencies Between Variables; B.Bulut, M.Vrac, N.Noblet‐Ducoudré; Earth's Future, 2025-01, Vol.13(1)

Abstract: This study explores the concept of climate analogs, which can help us understand and prepare for future climate conditions. Climate analogs are places on Earth today that have similar climate conditions to what a specific area will experience in the future. The study focuses on Europe and uses a new method called the Wasserstein distance to calculate these analogs. This method takes into account the relationships between different climate variables. We analyze multiple climate models and emission scenarios for different time periods. The findings indicate that as we approach the end of the century and as scenarios become more severe, the agreement between climate models on best analogs decreases, although they point to similar geographical areas. Toward the end of the century, the similarity between future and current climate conditions will decline, and the distance between a location and its best analog will increase. This means that finding suitable climate analogs becomes more challenging. Overall, this study highlights the importance of understanding climate change impacts and finding ways to adapt and mitigate its effects through simplified explanations and climate analogs.

Governance and degradation of soil in the EU. An overview of policies with a focus on soil erosion; Nikolaos Efthimiou; Soil & Tillage Research; 2025-01; Volume 245; Article 106308; 15 pp.

Abstract: Healthy soils provide critical ecosystem services, addressing modern societal challenges such as human health safeguarding, food security, climate change adaptation, etc. Unfortunately, 60–70 % of soils in the European Union (EU) are in an unhealthy state, due to various natural and socio-economic factors. Degradation is the most severe threat, impairing soil quality, hindering the full delivery of its functions, jeopardizing its productivity, and constituting a monetary hazard. This is why the European Commission (EC) has put soil health at the epicenter of several EU policies, in different, yet inter-connected domains (e.g., agriculture, climate, etc.). Soil governance has gained increasing interest over the years, with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Green Deal (EGD) being frontrunners in the attempt to achieve climatic neutrality, zero pollution, and sustainable food provision. These times call for a holistic revision of our production systems, consumption patterns, and the management of soil. However, a significant gap between soil conservation science and practice raises concerns about the effectiveness of soil-related policies.

The  EP Library Catalogue allows you to browse through our collection on the topic: 

• Journals and articles
• E-books
• EPRS and other EP publications