Photo shows a mosaic of satellite images, showing the night-time city lights of Europe.
Source: National Snow and Ice Data Center/ Science Photo Library
The importance of sustainable development and its relation to economic growth are now widely recognised. The environment and natural resources are the basic foundation of all socio-economic activity. The satisfactory guardianship of the environment is a precondition for sustainable development. Humanenvironment interactions are complex.
Human activities are the underlying cause and driving forces of environmental degradation. Environmental policy-makers now realise that the most effective way of improving environmental quality is to integrate environmental considerations in the management of human activities.
The purpose of this part of the report, covering Chapters 19 to 26, is to present the basic facts on energy, industry, transport, agriculture, forestry, fishing and aquaculture, tourism and recreation and households relevant to a better understanding of their environmental impacts. Some of these sectors have already been singled out in the EC Fifth Environmental Action Programme for priority attention (industry, energy, transport, agriculture and tourism).