Environment and green economy

EU Sustainable Energy Week will be back for its 13th edition, from 4 to 8 June.

GREEN CITIES FOR A GREENER FUTURE The next edition of EU Green Week will explore ways in which the EU is helping cities to become better places to live and work. Showcasing policy developments on air quality, noise, nature and biodiversity, waste and water management, it will promote participatory approaches to urban development, networking schemes, and tools for sharing best practices, engaging local authorities and citizens, and encouraging them to share their vision of a sustainable future. EU Green Week 2018 will include events across Europe, a high level conference in Brussels from 22-24 May 2018, and Opening and Closing events (21 and 25 May) to take place in the Member States. These High Level Opening and Closing events will have a particular prominence, setting the tone for the week's debates, and showcasing political conclusions at the end.

Please be informed that DEVCO C2 and C6 will be organising a two-day training session on environment and climate change entitled "Towards Sustainable Development: Greening EU Development Cooperation" on 21 and 22 of February in Brussels. Deadline for registration is the 1st of February COB.

Wildlife rangers, land rights activists and farmers still in danger around the world - The end of plastic waste? - Nice award for Virunga Lodge

Globally, the agriculture sector contributes roughly 24% of annual emissions of greenhouse gases*. However, by reducing demand for agrochemicals (the production of which requires high quantities of fossil fuels) organic agriculture takes less of a toll on the environment. The FAO lists this among seven environmental benefits of organic farming, which also include providing sustainability over time (to soil fertility and ecology), complementing the structure and composition of soils, not polluting groundwater sources, and promoting ecological services.

In an attempt to promote internationally the sustainable products of green artisans, communities, and small businesses from Asia, the SWITCH-Asia Network Facility set up an online platform called SWITCH Products. SwitchMed has joined this initiative to include products and services from ‘The Switchers’ — green entrepreneurs from the Mediterranean.

After more than two months of preparations, it was time to leave bitter cold Brussels for sunny and exotic Côte d'Ivoire and its capital Abidjan. My first trip to Africa and on the menu was the EU Africa Business Forum (EABF) and exciting discussions between the business world and the public sector on how to boost investments and create jobs in Africa.

As highlighted in the article on pollution and health, pollution has hit the attention of the public opinion and now governments are asked to proactively address this threat. But this is a global issue, which requires a global common response involving everyone, including the public and, very importantly, the private sector, as well as citizens.

The evaluation examined EU support to developing countries to adopt green economy and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) practices.

The Circular Economy is a mega trend, which is off to a successful start in Europe. Actions are being ramped up to support third countries develop more circular practices. By Kestutis Sadauskas, Director Circular Economy and Green Growth, DG Environment

The transition to green economies may be underway, but it will only take hold once it becomes relevant to voters, consumers and citizens. The Green Economy Coalition describes how.

The SWITCH Africa Green (SAG) project supports seven countries in Africa – Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda – to achieve sustainable development by engaging in transition towards an inclusive green economy based on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns. Based on consultations with national authorities and assessments of opportunities to adopt greener practices, SWITCH Africa focuses on agriculture, integrated waste management, manufacturing and tourism.

Enabling access to finance for green businesses and circular economy in the southern Mediterranean is the mission of the newly created Switchers Fund.

Launched in 2007, the European Union’s SWITCH-Asia Programme has supported more than 100 projects in 17 developing Asian countries, reducing the environmental impact of thousands of small enterprises and contributing to poverty alleviation.

The European Union has developed a training programme to improve the effectiveness of its interventions where the environment and climate change are at play, thereby contributing to poverty eradication, sustainable development and green growth.

Following the Rio+20 conference of 2012, which Declaration acknowledged the importance of the green economy in the context of sustainable development and which called for support to developing countries, the EU has consistently promoted the green economy in its development policy.

Chantal Marijnissen, Head of Unit, introduces the 6th edition of Green Development News.

Every three years, Heads of States and Governments from Africa and the EU meet to take stock of progress made in the implementation of commitments and to provide political guidance for future work. In 2017, the theme of the summit will be ‘investing in youth’.

The Fifth Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) Annual Conference will be hosted by the World Bank on the topic of sustainable infrastructure. Infrastructure includes water supply and sanitation, flood protection, roads and transport, and energy and telecommunications. Infrastructure has major implications at the household level (health, education and social mobility), the business level (productivity, industrial development), and the global level (climate change, energy, forests, biodiversity and pollution). Ensuring affordable and reliable access to infrastructure remains a major challenge in developing countries, but one that is further complicated by both a changing climate and changing climate policies.

This year’s Green Growth and Sustainable Development (GGSD) Forum will focus on investment, innovation and employment aspects of the fast-growing ocean-based industries, together with policies to protect and sustainably use marine and ocean resources and ecosystems. It will explore how economic development and conservation needs can be balanced successfully through innovations in established and emerging ocean industries, as well as marine spatial planning instruments.