Sustainable Development
Let scientists guide us in the fight against climate change
Scientists have proved vital in the push to control COVID-19. We should also use them to tackle climate change, argues Alina Averchenkova.
Europe faces up to China’s supremacy on raw materials
When the flu pandemic hit Europe and disrupted global supply chains this year, the EU came to a sobering realisation – it cannot continue relying solely on imports for raw materials like lithium and rare earths which are critical for the bloc’s digital and green industries.
Britain, Canada, EU throw weight behind 2030 biodiversity protection goal
Britain and Canada on Monday (28 September) joined the European Union in pledging to protect 30% of their land and seas by 2030 to stem "catastrophic" biodiversity loss and help galvanise support for broader agreement on the target ahead of a UN summit.
Will environmental failings bring down the EU-Mercosur deal?
It’s taken 20 years to build but Europe’s trade deal with the ‘Mercosur’ group of South American countries is looking increasingly like a rush job – with its environmental and social aspects the most shoddy, writes Amandine Van der Berghe....
Time is not on our side: Building back balance through wellbeing
Post-COVID, ‘building back better’ means building resilience to future shocks whilst creating a new vision where the well-being of all citizens is guaranteed over financial growth at the expense of everything else, write Sandrine Dixson-Declève and Aileen McLeod.
World’s richest 1% cause double CO2 emissions of poorest half, says Oxfam
The wealthiest 1% of the world’s population were responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015, according to new research. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
France says opposes EU-Mercosur trade deal over deforestation concerns
France remains opposed to a free trade deal in its current proposed form between the EU and South American countries due to "major" concerns about deforestation in the region, the government said on Friday (18 September).
Wildlife populations fell 68% since 1970s, new WWF report warns
The way humanity produces food, energy and goods is destroying the habitats of thousands of wildlife species, causing plunging population sizes and contributing to the emergence of diseases such as COVID-19, according to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020, released on Thursday (10 September).
Businesses launch joint bid to improve conditions in cobalt supply chains
A coalition of businesses including Signify, Glencore and Fairphone have launched a joint initiative to improve the economic, working and social conditions of those working in the cobalt supply chain. EURACTIV's media partner, edie.net, reports.
Insurers call for more proactive EU climate change adaptation plans
The European Union's strategy to adapt to the risks of climate change needs to be much more proactive and ambitious in order to reduce the risk of natural disasters such as flooding, insurers said in response to a consultation on the issue.
The EU can and must cut emissions by more than 55% by 2030
The European Commission has proposed to strengthen its 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 50% or 55% on 1990 levels in the next ten years. But this step does not meet the minimum level of ambition that climate science,...
EU’s trade deals can put an end to deforestation
The EU must take an aggressive “stick and carrot” approach to trade deals in order to put an end to deforestation and avert a next pandemic, writes Fazlun Khalid.
EU climate transition needs mineral miners, not coal miners
The European Union needs to transform its coal-mining regions into the source of minerals for clean technology, such as cobalt and rare earths, if it is to meet its climate goals and curb import reliance, a senior official said on Monday.
Let’s not forget biodiversity
Halting biodiversity loss and restoring nature are essential to Europe’s economic recovery, writes Michel Derdevet. The EU’s aspiration for global leadership on this depends on its ability to lead by example and intensify its actions on the ground, he argues.
From 10% to 30×30 – no time to waste for marine biodiversity
The EU's new Biodiversity Strategy will increase the EU’s network of marine protected areas, writes Virgilius Sinkevicius
EU unable to curb biodiversity loss on farmlands, auditors say
The EU's decade-long policy effort to reverse the biodiversity loss has not come to fruition, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) warned in a report published on Friday (5 June).
European Call: 3 solutions for climate and jobs
The European Green Deal is the best way to make the real changes Europe needs to be able to recover from the COVID-19 crisis, writes a group of 700 elected representatives and citizens from all sectors of civil society.
Brussels bares teeth with launch of new biodiversity plan
The European Commission is getting tough on biodiversity with a new set of “nature restoration targets” announced for publication next year, which the EU executive says will be strictly enforced.
Forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world
The Commission's new Biodiversity Strategy shows how forests are crucial for building resilience in a post COVID-19 world, writes Giulia Bondi.
Coronavirus waste: Burn it or dump it?
Masks, gloves, and other contaminated garbage from hospitals and households, which have been piling up by the thousands of tons as Spain battled through the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have undermined recycling chains and overwhelmed processing plants.
COVID crisis reinforces need for governments to go green
As the world's largest single market, the EU is an influential leader for setting global sustainability reporting standards. While we’ve seen significant growth in the number of organisations reporting sustainability impacts, more needs to be done to improve the disclosures, writes Tim Mohin.
Football’s ‘mini cities’ offer prime green testing ground
Stadiums are a great environment in which to trial sustainability measures because of the number of people who regularly attend sporting and entertainment events, according to those involved in their day-to-day running.
Hungary’s Conservative green policy works
A new climate and nature protection action plan demonstrates the efficiency of Hungary’s Conservative Green Policy, argues Judit Varga.