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Key reports and studies

26/03/2013
Cities get smart with eco-indicators
Cities get smart with eco-indicators
Cities around the world are increasingly using an expanding body of eco-city indicators and frameworks as a key sustainable development tool. There is also a growing trend of cooperation between countries and cities to apply eco-city indicators flexibly in different contexts. In China, for...
Eu
11/03/2013
'Concrete' solutions
'Concrete' solutions
The European Union's construction sector faces a testing target. Under the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), it must, by 2020, reuse or recycle at least 70% by weight of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste. In some countries, such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands,...
Eu
11/03/2013
Island communities explore sustainability
Island communities explore sustainability
A group of North Sea island communities have combined their energies to test a range of sustainability ideas involving water, energy and materials use, in the European Union funded The island communities - representing Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom -...
Eu
20/02/2013
New Eco Innovation Observatory report plots transition to sustainability  
New Eco Innovation Observatory report plots transition to sustainability  
The transition to a sustainable economy based on eco-innovation requires systemic change and “new collaborations to create functional systems that integrate environmental sustainability at their core,” according to the 2012 annual report of the Eco Innovation Observatory, which was published at...
Eu
20/02/2013
European raw materials partnership to work on resource efficiency  
European raw materials partnership to work on resource efficiency  
A new European Innovation Partnership (EIP), launched on 12 February, is to examine how the European Union can innovate to improve resource efficiency and to recover materials for reuse, rather than relying on primary raw materials. The EIP is a coalition of government ministries, research...
Eu
11/02/2013
SPIRE aims to inspire through resource and energy efficiency  
SPIRE aims to inspire through resource and energy efficiency  
A major cross-sectoral partnership is planning to channel €1.4 billion in private sector research spending to resource and energy efficiency in Europe's process industries – those sectors, such as steel and cement, that transform bulk resources into products that underpin modern economies. The...
Eu
29/10/2012
Making the most of public purchasing power
Making the most of public purchasing power
Public authorities should define their purchasing goals at a much earlier stage, if they want to use green public procurement (GPP) to boost eco-innovation, according to a European Union funded project. Instead of waiting until the start of technical procurement processes before they set out...
Eu
29/10/2012
Small companies, big ideas
Small companies, big ideas
Eco-innovation matters in two ways for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). First, many SMEs could benefit by introducing eco-innovative approaches into their operations. Second, SMEs, and especially start-ups, can be the ideal incubators for eco-innovation, and can bring to market new, less...
Eu
15/10/2012
Potocnik: eco-innovation requires a systemic rethink
Potocnik: eco-innovation requires a systemic rethink
Eco-innovation should go beyond incremental environmental improvements and efficiency gains, and aim at “breaking out of locked-in systems and thinking,” according to EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik. The Eco-innovation Action Plan should be a tool to respond to the need to stay...
Eu
15/10/2012
On the road
On the road
A European Commission transport research strategy seeks to boost eco-innovation by focusing attention on new types of vehicles, smart and green infrastructure, and the integrated management of different transport modes to achieve maximum efficiency. The Commission's Strategic Transport...
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