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ELENA facility supports cities and regions in developing sustainable solutions
01/07/2010
ELENA facility supports cities and regions in developing sustainable solutions
The European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) facility provides financial and technical assistance to help local and regional authorities attract funding for sustainable energy projects. The ELENA facility was launched by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in December...
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Best LIFE-Environment projects recognised for 2009
01/07/2010
Best LIFE-Environment projects recognised for 2009
23 projects were recognised as the Best LIFE-Environment projects for 2009 during a ceremony in Brussels. From the projects selected, five were deemed the ‘Best of the Best’. The Best LIFE-Environment Projects initiative aims to improve the dissemination of LIFE projects whose results could...
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EU strategy on track for clean vehicles
21/10/2010
EU strategy on track for clean vehicles
The European Commission has proposed a new strategy to address the EU’s fossil-fuel dependency, accelerate development of clean automotive technologies and promote mass-market uptake. Announced in April 2010, the strategy builds on the European Green Cars Initiative – one of three private-...
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Waste is food: going all the way on sustainability
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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Reducing the environmental impact of agriculture through biotechnology
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...
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Nanotechnology and environmental performance: what lies beyond the shiny promises?
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...
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Europe-wide life-cycle thinking essential for sustainable nanotechnology applications
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...
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Cities setting standards in eco-innovation
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...
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28/07/2011
Significant emission reductions possible at a low cost
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...
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Eco-innovation INNO-Net champions eco-innovation policy
28/07/2011
Eco-innovation INNO-Net champions eco-innovation policy
The Commission's INNO-Net on Eco-innovation will enable an exchange of ideas, and lead to common work towards transferability of good practices, benchmarking, and target setting An initiative to build on the promising policies of Member States for the promotion of eco-innovation was announced...
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