Sustainable Development
Flanders tackles pandemic’s sustainability fallout
It is clear that the ongoing coronavirus crisis has offset sustainability efforts: thousands of personal protective equipment items are thrown away every day and the pandemic has increased poverty and inequality. Flemish communities have taken these setbacks head-on, bringing together individuals and local authorities to tackle disparities caused by the pandemic.
Make the Fit for 55 package fit for cities
Europe's new and revised climate legislation needs to enable cities to reach climate neutrality by mid-century, including by encouraging more building renovation and driving the transition to clean energy, European mayors write.
EU warned about environmental impact of deep seabed mining
Deep seabed mining for minerals used in car batteries and other green technologies should not be permitted in Europe until there is sufficient knowledge on the environmental impact it may cause, said the Portuguese minister of maritime affairs.
Turkey bans most plastic imports as EU trash found dumped on roadsides
Greenpeace welcomed a ban by Ankara on imports of most plastic waste after the environmental group said it uncovered exports, some possibly illegal, from Britain and Germany that created “mountains” of trash in southern Turkey. The environmental group said its...
French Senate calls for more ambitious policy to curb urban sprawl
As French senators prepare to examine the country's climate and resilience bill, members of the Senate's Economic Affairs Committee published a report on Wednesday (12 May), calling for a more ambitious policy to achieve a net-zero goal on land artificialisation. EURACTIV France reports.
Brazilian Amazon released more carbon than it absorbed over past 10 years: study
International team of researchers also found that deforestation rose nearly four-fold in 2019. EURACTIV's media partner The Guardian, reports.
Redirect harmful subsidies to benefit the planet, UN urges governments
Head of the Kunming biodiversity summit asks nations to review destructive support for fishing, agriculture and other industries. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
On the EU’s plate every day: deforestation and natural destruction
The EU is responsible for 16% of ‘imported’ tropical deforestation, writes Anke Schulmeister-Oldenhove. Will the new deforestation EU law live up to its promises?
Time for governments to take biodiversity loss as seriously as climate change
Together with climate change, the world is also facing a biodiversity crisis, which has failed to capture the same attention. But efforts made by governments to tackle the climate crisis show that action is possible when there is sufficient political will, writes Janice Weatherley-Singh ahead of a UN convention on biological diversity.
Bye Frexit, hello ecology: Why Le Pen’s party programme has a new agenda
With France's regional and presidential elections already looming on the horizon, Marine Le Pen's right-wing Rassemblement national (RN) seems to want to rework its roadmap. On the agenda: more ecology, but no more return to the franc.
Recover today, lead for 2030: A future-fit industrial strategy for Europe
The current political debate on industrial policy lacks an honest acknowledgement of how much is already decided – from EU recovery budgets to the 2030 climate targets, write Sandrine Dixson-Declève and Janez Potočnik. Sandrine Dixson-Declève is the president of The...
UN’s Kunming biodiversity summit delayed a second time
A key United Nations summit to negotiate an accord for nature similar to the Paris climate agreement has been postponed for a second time, it has been announced. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Lawmakers call for green ‘due diligence’ in Europe’s supply chains
Lawmakers in the European Parliament passed a resolution to tackle environmental and human rights issues in the supply chains of EU businesses by 504 votes to 79 on Wednesday (10 March) ahead of the Commission’s proposal on corporate due diligence later this year.
Meat debate heats up in Italy after remarks by new ‘super minister’
Italy's livestock farmers are fuming after the newly appointed ‘super minister’ for the ecological transition said the amount of animal protein consumed should be decreased and replaced with plant-based alternatives.
The EU adaptation strategy is everybody’s cup of coffee
The EU Adaptation Strategy presents not only priorities for action, but a vision of how adaptation to climate change should take place, writes Richard J. T. Klein.
NGOs call for stricter reporting requirements for European companies
By the end of March, the European Commission wants to present a revised version of the so-called non-financial reporting directive (NFRD). A coalition of European NGOs is calling for greater transparency and stricter reporting requirements for companies in sustainability matters. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German lawmakers call for ending exports of banned pesticides
Pesticides that are currently banned in Europe may still be exported to foreign countries, an issue which highlights the EU's lack of coherence, according to the leftist Die Linke and the Greens. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Commission dampens bid to end EU meat promotion
The European Commission has softened its stance on phasing out the promotion of red and processed meat in Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, and the latest change has received a mixed reception from stakeholders.
US plans to end fossil fuel finance overseas, mirroring EU
US President Joe Biden has pledged to end public funding of ‘carbon-intensive’ fossil fuel projects overseas, bringing America in line with EU plans. However, the wording may leave the door open to gas, writes EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News.
‘Fast fashion’ is out, green fashion is coming next
The COVID-19 crisis is accelerating the shift of consumers toward more green and local forms of fashion, writes Mariam Harutyunyan. As high streets haemorrhage, fashion will need to fundamentally remodel itself, she argues.
Lawmakers push for EU due diligence law on environmental, human rights
The European Parliament's legal affairs committee adopted a report on Wednesday (27 January) calling on the European Union to legally require companies to protect human rights and the environment in their supply chains.
Science must finally become the foundation of our marine policies
2021 marks the start of the UN Decade on Ocean Science – a chance to move away from past mistakes where EU decisions were not always made based on the best-available science or even went against scientific advice, writes Antonia Leroy.
EU lawmakers raise concerns about UK ‘regression’ on pesticides
Lawmakers in the European Parliament raised concerns about possible UK regression on pesticides and gene editing at a meeting on the new EU-UK trade agreement on Thursday (14 January).