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
The shipping industry needs to decarbonise in order to meet global climate targets. This study compares the suitability of five low-carbon fuels to power all ships carrying bulk cargo in Europe. The results show that technologies support this transition but would increase total ownership costs.
Encouraging businesses to adopt more sustainable practices is a key element in EU environment policy. This study looks at a range of factors that influence the uptake of such measures by small- to medium-sized enterprises across the EU.
Reusing materials from existing buildings (or ‘urban mining’) has been proposed as a means to reduce demolition waste, raw material consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. This study models the opportunities for urban mining in the Netherlands under practical constraints, up to the year 2050.
A major role of protected areas is to provide species with opportunities to shift their distribution in response to climate change. This study looks at key characteristics of Natura 2000 sites to assess their influence on the speed at which water-bird communities react to rising temperatures.
Future Briefs
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.
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.
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.