Sustainable Development
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.
FIFA commits to carbon-neutral 2022 football World Cup
FIFA aims reach carbon neutrality at the next World Cup, to be hosted by Qatar in 2022, in spite of the numerous environmental challenges linked to the location of the event, according to a recently released sustainability strategy.
Sinkevicius: Dealing with PFAS chemicals in revised tap water rules was a ‘great move’
The inclusion of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the EU's Drinking Water Directive was a step forward that showed the EU's commitment to address these chemicals, Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius told EURACTIV.
LEAK: EU’s new circular economy plan aims to halve waste by 2030
The European Commission will aim to “absolutely decouple” economic growth from natural resource use in a draft circular economy action plan due to be unveiled in March.
Finland’s paperworkers start three-week-long strike
Some 9,000 workers at Finnish paper mills will start a three-week strike on Monday (27 January) after wage talks broke down, their labor union said in a statement, the latest in a series of labor conflicts to hit Finland.
Rome airport tests pioneering eco-friendly tarmac
Rome’s Fiumicino airport is testing a pioneering tarmac developed by an Italian company, made of a material that has twice the lifespan of traditional asphalt and is better for the environment as it uses a waste plastic.
Just Transition Fund won’t come ‘at the expense’ of Cohesion, EU’s Ferreira claims
The creation of a Just Transition Fund to help poorer EU regions move towards a climate-neutral economy cannot come at the expense of the bloc's Cohesion Policy, the EU's regional policy Commissioner has said.
Business strategies for cost-saving circular economy solutions
Circular economy principles offer compelling strategic and operational benefits for the manufacturing industry. These include substantial cost savings, which companies should take advantage of, writes Rafael Go.
Hoffenheim on tree-planting mission in Uganda
Football club 1899 Hoffenheim is planting trees in Uganda to help protect the environment. In the past, sustainability in football meant switching off the stadium lights in the evening, but many clubs are now breaking new ground.
Boosting circular economy requires joint effort, experts warn
If Europe wants to transition towards a circular economy model, the practices have to be mainstreamed and all actors should be involved in the process, experts warned during an event hosted by EURACTIV.
Europe must uphold key EU law protecting freshwater fishes
Europe is no exception to the decline in freshwater biodiversity, due to many threats such as agricultural pollution, or the overwhelming development of hydropower, writes Dr Steven Weiss. Dr Steven Weiss is an associate professor at the Institute of Biology,...
EEA chief: ‘We need systemic-type environmental policies’
You can never reach a decarbonised economy by making the combustion engine perform better and become more efficient, says Hans Bruyninck. Breakthrough technologies, not incremental efficiency gains, will bring Europe to its 2050 objectives, he argues.
Europe’s environment ‘at a tipping point’, EU agency says
Europe faces environmental challenges “of unprecedented scale and urgency,” according to a comprehensive overview of air, land and water ecosystems published on Wednesday (4 December) by the European Environment Agency.
Devastating marks for Europe’s environment policies
The verdict of the EEA’s “State of the Environment Report 2020” is scathing. But if we get it right, the European Green Deal can provide us with a unique opportunity to turn the tide, writes Ester Asin.
COP25: Is transport decarbonisation pragmatic enough?
Stakeholders will be meeting in Madrid for the COP25 Climate Change Conference over the next two weeks (2-13 December), and transport decarbonisation is expected to take centre stage in the discussions.
Agricultural emissions: Not enough cash for solutions
European policies on tackling agricultural emissions are insufficient, according to auditors. Although solutions do exist, the cost and time factors often mean farmers are not capable of implementing them.
Ex-finance minister: Gentiloni’s SDG-oversight will be ‘key’
Italy's former finance minister Domenico Siniscalco insists that sustainable finance is going from strength to strength and that it will hold the key to effectively combating climate change. He also believes that compatriot Paolo Gentiloni will play a crucial role.
Sustainable finance: Going green’s crucial ingredient
The scale of the energy transition required in Europe and the wider world is huge, as is the financial bill attached to the shift. Companies are already starting to align their business models around green policies but is there appetite...