|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EU Green Week 2022 Highlights
Special Issue of the EU Environment newsletter
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overview
|
|
EU Green Week 2022 is drawing to a close...
|
Dedicated to the theme of making the European Green Deal real, Europe’s biggest annual event on environmental policy started with a hard question: is there still a place for green policies in times where people struggle with high energy prices, supply chain disruptions that will lead to rising unemployment, high inflation and a war on Europe’s doorstep? The two-day conference explored what it will really take to transform to a circular, nature-positive and zero pollution economy.
|
All speakers including Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries and, special guest Ruslan Strilets, Ukrainian Minister for the Environment, agreed that it’s paramount to stay on the green track, even more so at this very moment. Going circular means cutting dependencies, and addressing the grave environmental degradation caused by the war calls for a green reconstruction to ensure less pollution, better health and a future proofing of the economy by restoring severely degraded biodiversity.
The three thematic panels demonstrated that Europe remains firmly on the green path and explained why the European Green Deal is today as relevant as ever. The Brussels conference finished with an uplifting and forward-looking panel where circular business innovators, forward-thinking economists and nature conservation entrepreneurs enthusiastically shared their positive experience of “making the Green Deal real”. Because it is not policies and regulations that make Europe green, it is every single one of us.
Throughout the week, almost 300 events organised by partner organisations took place around Europe and beyond, including flashmobs, clean-up actions including plogging (litter picking whilst jogging), guided tours, educational walks in nature, workshops for kids and hackathons. Through original and concrete action on the ground, people of all ages and from dozens of countries have shown how important implementing the European Green Deal is to them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Video Highlights
|
|
|
|
Tweets of the week
|
|
|
The #EUGreenDeal has offered the starting line for people who are making it real, with their work.
...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Closing an eventful #EUGreenWeek with a 🎂 for 30 years of #EUEcolabel guiding consumers towards t...
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ukrainian Minister for Environment Ruslan Strilets at the #EUGreenWeek:
The war in Ukraine and it...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conference recap
|
|
|
30/05/2022
|
EU Youth Dialogue with Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
|
Stressing the importance of listening to young voices, Commissioner Sinkevičius met youth representatives from across the EU and Ukraine. Youth delegates posed their questions under five themes: nature and biodiversity, the consequences of war and the pandemic, fashion and textiles, food production and joint action.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/05/2022
|
Opening session - All change? What happens to EU Environmental Policy in times of crisis
|
What happens if wars, economic downturns, pandemics and food crises overshadow environmental policy? Tackling this tough question, speakers highlighted the need to keep environmental priorities high on the political agenda. Ruslan Strilets, Ukrainian Minister for the Environment, spoke of the Russian crimes against people, infrastructure and the planet, highlighting that “Nature is priceless” and a price must be put on this damage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30/05/2022
|
LIFE Awards 2022 - special 30th anniversary edition
|
Including a video appearance from Sir David Attenborough, this session marked the 30th anniversary of the LIFE Awards. Three projects in the fields of nature protection, environment, and climate action were recognised, with the LIFE Citizens’ Prize awarded to the public’s favourite project, and a special tribute paid to a successful LIFE project implemented in the Natura 2000 network.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/2022
|
Circular Economy - Designed to last: sustainable and connected products
|
In this lively discussion, speakers zoned in on the Commission’s legal proposal to make sustainable products the norm and how new business models are critical to achieve change. On the systemic transition to sustainable products, Professor Jan Jonker said “It’s not always going to be popular, but it’s absolutely necessary if we want to keep on living within the boundaries of this planet”.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/2022
|
Zero Pollution - Who pays the price for pollution?
|
This session centered on the polluter pays principle and how it should be better applied at EU level, bringing questions of fairness and justice to the forefront and emphasizing that it is people who pay the price for pollution. Femke Groothuis, co-founder and president of The Ex’tax project highlighted that “Only 0.2% of all tax revenues are based on pollution and resource use, even worse, we’re subsidising pollution to the tune of €50 billion a year.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/2022
|
Biodiversity - Nature restoration targets
|
Speakers highlighted the manifest links between halting biodiversity loss and restoring nature, and tackling food security and climate change. On the upcoming EU proposal for an EU nature restoration law, Janez Potočnik, UNEP Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel, emphasized “If anybody is questioning that we need a strong nature restoration law, it’s actually questioning that humans are part of nature. With a nature restoration law, we are basically protecting ourselves”.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/2022
|
Closing session - From hope to action
|
The conference ended with an uplifting and forward-looking panel where circular business innovators, forward-thinking economists and nature conservation entrepreneurs enthusiastically shared their positive experience of “making the Green Deal real”. Participants were left with a clear message – that people influence change and every single one of us can help make Europe green.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31/05/2022
|
30th Birthday Party for EU Ecolabel
|
Wrapping up the 2-day conference, Florika Fink–Hooijer, Director General for Environment, European Commission, inaugurated the EU Ecolabel “Showroom on Wheels”. The showroom will now travel all around Europe. Follow the journey!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green Week across Europe
|
|
|
|
Try at home
|
|
|
|
Stay tuned...
|
|
Take action on World Environment Day
|
Under the slogan “Only One Earth”, this year’s World Environment Day on 5 June focuses on living sustainably in harmony with nature. Discover the Practical Guide of actions that individuals and organisations can take to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|