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• Investigation of GHG pollutants persistence in Europe and major economic areas. • Mean reversion properties and the integration factor is examined for CO2, CH4, and NO2 (2000-2021) • Empirical evidence of mean reversion in CO2 emissions across all countries. • CH4 and NO2 show reduced persistence and not all countries exhibit mean reversion properties. • These empirical findings highlight policy progress, but underscore the need for further efforts. This paper investigates the persistence of GHG in Europe, evaluating the effectiveness of government policies, including the Kyoto Protocol and the EU Council commitment. Mean reversion properties, and the structure of the integration factor were examined to determine the degree of persistence across markets and assess policy effectiveness. The analysis focuses on CO 2 , CH 4 , and NO 2 pollutants, with monthly data starting in January 2000 and ending in December 2021 from major European countries, and the US, Japan, Brazil, China, and India for comparison purposes. Empirical results show clear evidence of mean reversion in CO 2 emissions observed across all countries, indicating certain degrees of stabilization. Similar patterns are seen for CH 4 , and NO 2 , observing reduced persistence of these pollutants; however not all countries exhibit mean reversion properties. Thus, these findings highlight policy progress in stabilizing GHG emissions, particularly for CO 2 , but underscore the need for further efforts to achieve a substantial emissions reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We use a spatial error model to test the EKC hypothesis on European cities. • The sample is a balanced panel of 922 European cities from 2000 to 2020. • We test CO 2 and SO 2 emissions, PM 2.5 and O 3 concentration and artificial land use. • Depending on the environmental indicator, the EKC takes on different shapes. • Participation in Transnational City Networks can affect EKC curvature. This paper empirically explores the extent to which European cities are on track to sustainable development by examining the environmental performance of a large sample of cities observed during the last two decades. The paper builds on the Environmental Kuznets Curve framework and leverages satellite data to build a set of environmental indicators as varied and as granular as possible. Evidence suggests that European cities are, on average, on track to sustainable development, meaning that the contribution of their economic growth to environmental degradation is already negative or close to becoming so. The paper also examines Transnational City Networks as accelerators of environmental transition. The results suggest that cities participating in such networks anticipate the transition with respect to their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Methods using macroalgal assemblages in monitoring programs were reviewed. • A total of 215 papers were selected. • A large variability among geographical areas was highlighted. • Most studies focused on mapping the distribution of kelps or Fucales. • In Europe many ecological quality indices were developed. Macroalgae have been utilized as biological indicators of ecosystem health in many monitoring programs worldwide. These programs have utilized various methods to quantify macroalgal community structures. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of current progress by reviewing techniques and methods in both monitoring programs and impact evaluation studies that use macroalgal assemblage data. A total of 215 papers were selected and divided into four categories: macroalgal assemblage monitoring, macroalgal mapping, developing and employing ecological indices based on macroalgae, and developing and employing generic ecological indices including macroalgae. The number and goals of macroalgal monitoring programs are very different among geographical areas. In Europe, the recent European Union Directives led to the development of indices as tool to monitor the ecological quality of coastal systems. In other geographic regions, most studies focused on mapping the distribution of kelps or Fucales. This demonstrates the necessity to harmonize marine macroalgal monitoring, identifying common metrics and approaches in sampling design, field measurements, taxonomic resolution and data management, in order to develop standardized procedures which may allow data obtained to be compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • H. rivularis spread very widely in Europe during recent decades. • H. rivularis is no longer a simple indicator for oligotrophic ecosystems. • H. rivularis occurs mainly in habitats with eu- and hypertrophic waters. • H. rivularis is a poor indicator of the good ecological status of waters. • Classification of H. rivularis as an endangered species in Poland is unfounded. Our knowledge about the size of benthic red alga populations inhabiting European freshwater ecosystems is still insufficient. For many years, in Europe, Hildenbrandia rivularis (Rhodophyta, Hildenbrandiaceae) was believed to be a very rare species of crustaceous red algae, valuable for oligotrophic system biomonitoring. In this paper, we challenge this assumption and show the phenomenon of H. rivularis expansion (i.e., from mountains and highlands to lowlands) in Europe based on detailed data from Poland. We collected over 311 records of H. rivularis occurring in rivers, streams and lakes (not typical habitats for this alga) across the country, including historical data. Here, we show the detailed distribution of this endangered species in Poland, one of the largest European countries. To examine the mechanism of H. rivularis population expansion, physicochemical data from 122 aquatic ecosystems were investigated. A comparison between three subperiods (1860–1944, 1945–1999, and 2000–2019) revealed an increase in the average abundance of the H. rivularis population in the lowlands area. However, the studied species seems to be disappearing in mountain and upland ecosystems. We found altitude and water flow and quality (i.e., alkalinity, oxygenation and biogens) to be the main determinants of H. rivularis occurrence within the study area. The results indicate that this red alga can be described as an expansive species, and its occurrence does not always indicate good water quality and fast water flow. Surprisingly, in contrast to observations from the last century, the population of H. rivularis in Poland currently occurs mainly in habitats with eu- and hypertrophic waters. We point out here that in the zone with temperate climate influence, H. rivularis is no longer an obvious indicator for oligotrophic ecosystems. We suggest that climate warming and eutrophication–reoligotrophication may have contributed to the increased spread of H. rivularis in Europe over recent decades. In addition, we see no reason to classify H. rivularis as an endangered species in Poland. This species most often inhabits anthropogenic water systems and occurs at high abundance in waters with high concentrations of biogens. For these reasons, H. rivularis is more ubiquitous than a cosmopolitan species (i.e., with a wide range of occurrence but associated with only a specific type of habitat and specific environmental parameters). Thus, the value of H. rivularis as a bioindicator for oligotrophic water ecosystems is very low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]