Sustainable Development

‘Natural solutions’ in focus as EU hosts climate summit with China, Canada

The Nature4Climate Initiative is officially being launched in Brussels on Wednesday (20 June) by a coalition of conservation organisations, business groups, the UNDP and other major environmental NGOs.

A momentous decision on elephant ivory falls to Europe

China and the UK have joined the US in closing their domestic ivory markets. It is now time for the EU to follow their footsteps if we are to give Africa’s elephants a fighting chance to survive the current onslaught from global criminal syndicates increasingly involved in the poaching and distribution of ivory, argues Catherine Novelli.

Raising the bar to protect wildlife through trade policy with Australia, New Zealand

The opening of EU trade negotiations with both Australia and New Zealand presents an opportunity for the parties to strengthen their commitments to protect wildlife, natural habitats and the welfare of animals. The EU should look to TPP-11’s environmental provisions for inspiration, argue Joanna Swabe and Nicola Beynon.

Blossoming batteries boosted by EU plan

Batteries and storage are set to become even more important as electro-mobility and renewable energy go from strength to strength. That is why EU efforts are meant to help the burgeoning industry compete against the likes of China and electric carmaker Tesla.

EU prepares to say adieu to single-use plastics

The European Commission is gearing up to reveal how it plans to tackle single-use plastics as part of the much vaunted Plastics Strategy. But an initial draft of the legislation has already received mix reviews.

Reducing meat consumption to reduce CO2 emissions: a sustainable challenge

Eating habits are responsible for carbon dioxide emissions and many countries could improve their carbon footprint by changing them. European countries are not all equal in terms of CO2 emissions, but an effort could be made.

Ecolabels have lost all credibility, report claims

Lack of transparency, oversights, confusion… A report by the Dutch Foundation Changing Markets, published on 3 May, reveals the inefficiency of environmental labels, particularly for seafood, textiles and palm oil. EURACTIV's partner Le Journal de l'environnement reports.

Plight of the bees hits unaware businesses

Declining numbers of bees, butterflies and midges could leave companies facing the prospect of reduced crop quality and a shortage of raw materials. A United Nations-backed study found that most businesses surveyed were unsure of what action to take.

UN draft calls on international shipping to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

A working group of the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) released an interim strategy on 6 April, which calls on international shipping to reduce total annual greenhouse gas emissions from 2008 levels by at least 50% by 2050.

Climate change makes mountain tops bloom, for now

Europe's mountain summits are flush with new plant species, a greening that has increased in lock-step with the acceleration of global warming since the mid-20th century, researchers said Wednesday (4 April).

Not enough done at EU level against imported deforestation

European imports of soy, cocoa and palm oil fuel deforestation in developing countries. The fight against the resulting collateral damage in Europe is complicated by agricultural interests.

WWF France calls gold mine project ‘ecological disaster and economic mirage’

The French government will open a public debate on 3 April on the Montagne d’Or, a largely controversial gold mine project in French Guyana. But WWF France demands that the project be abandoned and calls for a move toward an ecologically and socially sustainable development in the overseas department.

Chocolate firms still have long way to go to have sustainable policies

Chocolate companies still have “a huge amount of work to do” in implementing truly sustainable policies, with some doing much better than others, the Washington-based NGO Mighty Earth concluded in a consumer guide ranking chocolate producers, published a few days ahead of Easter.

Bottle and can deposit return scheme gets green light in England

All drinks containers in England, whether plastic, glass or metal, will be covered by a deposit return scheme, the UK government has announced. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.

There’s no escape from the ‘economics of enough’

If we want to reduce the use of natural resources and energy in absolute terms, a sufficiency strategy is needed to complement the eco-efficiency and circular economy approaches, write Riccardo Mastini and Leida Rijnhout.

UN Arctic chief: ‘Climate change isn’t linear – it’s accelerating’

Climate change is most evident in the Polar Regions and its impact will serve as a litmus test for what happens to the rest of the planet, the UN’s chief Arctic adviser told EURACTIV in an interview.

A two-speed approach to sustainable finance?

Europe is quickly adopting an imbalanced, two-speed approach to sustainable finance, in which the "green" is moving much faster than the "social". Eleni Choidas look into whether it is even possible to have one without the other.

Another environmental catastrophe is looming in Central Asia

The EU as a soft power should convince other donors to make the funds available to decontaminate old uranium mines in Central Asia, writes Adrian De Meer.

EU Bioeconomy 2.0– Cultivating a home grown success

Barely six years old, the EU’s Bioeonomy Strategy, currently under revision, is slowly but surely propagating green shoots of sustainable economic recovery in innumerable and unexpected ways, writes Joanna Dupont.

EU circular economy’s REACH for the stars

As the EU doubles down on its waste management efforts and sets its sights on tackling plastic waste, the idea of a circular economy and internal market for recycling is gathering momentum. But it will not be an easy task for lawmakers or industry to realise.

Greenpeace: Cut out meat to meet Paris Agreement goals

The world needs to cut the production and consumption of meat in half by 2050 in order to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, a new Greenpeace report said.

Putting an end to cosmetics testing on animals, definitively

The EU ban on animal testing for cosmetics was a huge step forward but a global ban is the only guarantee that no animal will have to suffer or die for the sake of a shampoo or lipstick ever again, writes Kerry Postlewhite.

French councillor pushes Commission to act on food waste

Arash Derambarsh, French councillor for Courbevoie known for his campaigns against food waste, is calling for a European directive on the subject before the May 2019 elections.