Environment

Eu

28/07/2011
EU helps Asia become more sustainable
SWITCH-Asia is a €150 million programme in which the EU is encouraging Asian SMEs to become more sustainable through policy support, information exchange and on-the-ground projects. Asia has become the world’s manufacturing centre, but the estimated 30 million small and medium-sized enterprises...
28/07/2011
New energy labels proposed for EU household products
The Commission has proposed the first-ever energy label for TVs and updated labelling for refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines to reflect technical improvements. Labelling help consumers choose household products that save energy – and therefore money – while providing...
28/07/2011
A report from the European Commission Joint Research Centre indicates that environmental improvements in residential buildings could result in overall greenhouse gas emission reductions of 7%. The JRC IMPRO-Building report suggests that such reductions could be achieved without incurring...
28/07/2011
OECD Global Forum calls for broader perspective on eco-innovation
Key messages emerging from the OECD Global Forum on Eco-innovation suggest policy makers and stakeholders view eco-innovation as more than just the invention of new technologies. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Forum in Paris on 4 and 5 November 2009 presented...
28/07/2011
Improving technology transfers in the environmental sector
The EU funded METTTES project, which finished in September 2008, endeavoured to increase cross-border transfer of technologies that are particularly relevant to the environmental sector METTTES was established to generate concrete long-term partnerships within the European environmental sector...
02/05/2011
Cities setting standards in eco-innovation
Curitiba is Brazil’s seventh largest city and ‘green capital’. One of the best examples of green urban planning, it shows a city can minimise its environmental impact and be attractive. Eco-innovation is usually applied to products, not cities. Yet the planning achievements of Curitiba and...
18/04/2011
Europe-wide life-cycle thinking essential for sustainable nanotechnology applications
A combination of life-cycle analysis and risk assessment can improve the understanding of the potential environmental and health impacts of products that contain nanomaterials. Nano-structured products are acquiring a dominant role in global manufacturing. The total revenue from such products...
07/02/2011
Nanotechnology and environmental performance: what lies beyond the shiny promises?
The nanotechnology industry has over-promised and under-delivered according to Friends of the Earth, which proposes taking a precautionary approach to nanotechnology products. Nanotechnology has the potential to deliver novel approaches and transform the economy, although at a significant...
24/01/2011
Reducing the environmental impact of agriculture through biotechnology
Biotechnology can play a major role in helping farmers overcome challenges such as protecting crops against insects, weeds and disease, as well as battling vagaries of the weather. Much can be achieved without resorting to environmentally-harmful products and processes or over-reliance on...
27/10/2010
Waste is food: going all the way on sustainability
Ten European regions have created a network to share best practice in waste prevention and management by applying the cradle-to-cradle concept for sustainable development. The idea that there is no such thing as waste, only raw materials yet to be put to good use, underpins the cradle-to-cradle...

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