The relevance of environmental indicators in monitoring ecological progress in the Basque Country
In a global context marked by the climate emergency and the need for a transition to more sustainable development models, the systematic collection of environmental indicators has become an essential tool for assessing the state of the environment and informing decision-making. In the Basque Country, this work has been materialised for the financial year 2024 through the Euskadi Environmental Situation Report, prepared by Ihobe, the Basque Government's Public Company for Environmental Management, in compliance with article 13 of Act 10/2021 on Environmental Administration in the Basque Country.
This report presents a comprehensive and visual overview of the environmental state of the Basque territory, organized around nine key themes: climate change, water, air, soil, biodiversity, circular economy, waste, economy and environment, and citizenship. The evolution of each area and its distance from the objectives defined for the Basque Country are analysed using reference indicators from sources such as the European Environment Agency, Eurostat, and the Basque Government.
Environmental indicators not only enable the measurement of progress towards a more sustainable Euskadi but also promote transparency, accountability, and citizen involvement in environmental protection. They therefore constitute a solid basis for designing effective public policies adapted to the environmental reality of the territory.
Access Environmental Indicators
The Basque Country’s Environmental Profiles are a series of publications produced to provide a thorough, accessible and clear picture of the state of the environment in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. Each edition focuses on a specific environmental vector – such as water, air, waste, soil, biodiversity and environmental health – thus going further into the most important aspects of each theme and how they evolve over time.
The profiles are a key tool for awareness-raising, decision-making and designing public policies, as they include significant indicators, technical analyses and regulatory context. Furthermore, they contribute to the monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reflect the Basque Government’s commitment to sustainable development and the continuous improvement of the urban and natural environment.
The series includes the following profiles:
| Year | Topic | Documents (PDF) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Health and Environment | |
| 2022 | Biodiversity | |
| 2020 | Soils | |
| 2018 | Climate Change | |
| 2017 | Waste | |
| 2016 | Air | |
| 2015 | Water |
