Science for Environment Policy (SfEP) is a free news and information service published by the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) of the European Commission. It is designed to help busy policymakers keep up-to-date with the latest environmental research findings needed to design, implement and regulate effective policies.
The News Alerts are a cornerstone of the SfEP service. Presented in concise and easy-to-understand newsletter articles, SfEP offers quick access to scientific research on environmental issues.
SfEP also releases regular Future Briefs on the latest environmental topics. Future Briefs are a series of horizon-scanning policy briefs, which explore the evidence around emerging environmental issues.
Our News alert articles and Future Briefs are freely accessible through this site. To access SfEP content published between 2005 and June 2022, please consult the dedicated archive.
News Alerts
Fast fashion: common reasons garments are discarded
Issue 589: Can clothing be more sustainable? A new study identifies the top causes of garment failure and suggests possible solutions, informed by industry professionals.
Using blue-green infrastructure in cities increases regional habitat connectivity and benefits biodiversity
Issue 589: Global urbanisation is increasing and negatively impacting on the quality, connectivity and ecosystem functioning of natural spaces.
Modelling a microplastic-free Black Sea: strategies to lower waste from feeder rivers
Issue 589: The semi-enclosed Black Sea is fed by multiple European and Asian rivers which carry microplastic pollution.
Bat-friendly cities: urban planning recommendations from new citizen science study
Issue 589: Cities can effectively support bat populations when urban planners and conservationists create the right ecological conditions, concludes a new study from Germany.
Future Briefs
FUTURE BRIEF: COVID-19 and the environment: links, impacts and lessons learned – Issue 26
This brief looks at environmental factors that potentially contribute to the emergence of disease and the effects of COVID-19, and environmental impacts that have arisen from COVID-19.
FUTURE BRIEF: European Forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation – Issue 25
Forests are under pressure by inadequate management practices and climate changes. This research is based on the latest scientific evidence to show how biodiversity, the bioeconomy and climate change mitigation are underpinned by Europe's forests.
FUTURE BRIEF: Pollinators: Importance for nature and human well-being, drivers of decline and the need for monitoring – Issue 23
This Future Brief presents an overview of research into the benefits of pollinators for food production and security, their role in nature, the drivers of change in pollinator populations and the importance of monitoring for pollinator protection.
Contact Us
Science for Environment Policy (SfEP) is a European Commission initiative. The secretariat is currently run by Ecorys.
For comments on this service, please contact Ecorys at sfep@ecorys.com.
If you would like to contact the editors of SfEP, the Science Communication Unit at UWE, email us at sfep.editorial@uwe.ac.uk. You can use this email to:
- obtain permission to reproduce material from the service in another publication
- suggest a study to be considered for inclusion in the News Alert. Criteria for inclusion are listed in our archive section.
To get in touch with the researchers, please refer to the Source section indicated under each News Alert article.