European Union

EU ambassadors have agreed on a slightly-modified version of the EU sustainable investment taxonomy - which aims to clarify which sectors are fully sustainable. The previous version was blocked last week by nine countries (France, UK, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia), because they wanted more guarantees regarding "technological neutrality". Now MEPs will have to decide if the newly agreed council position is strong enough.

MEPs want to stop the decline of bees and other insect pollinators in the EU and are calling for more measures to protect the diversity of pollinator species.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

MEPs want to stop the decline of bees and other insect pollinators in the EU and are calling for more measures to protect the diversity of pollinator species.

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Written by Marta Latek and Eric Pichon,

© United Nations

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be attained by 2030, as a follow-up to the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015) and the Rio+20 Summit (2012). Unlike their predecessors, the SDGs commit both developed and developing countries, and embrace the economic, environmental and social aspects of development. The SDGs and the broader 2030 Agenda for sustainable development of which they form the core, are based on the findings that human activities have triggered dramatic changes in the conditions on Earth (climate change and biodiversity loss), which in turn have contributed to the deterioration of human well‑being. To reverse the trend, there is an urgent need to simultaneously address the multiple causes and consequences of environmental depletion and social inequalities, by developing synergies and managing trade-offs between the SDGs.

Challenges in pursuing the SDGs include the fact that countries do not necessarily have an equal start and, even more importantly, that regardless of their stage of development, they can no longer afford to apply the current development model, where production and consumption happen at the expense of natural resources. According to many observers, such a model creates unsolvable tensions between SDGs, notably between the safeguarding of natural resources and the aspirations for improved well-being. The structural transformation that would bring about the desired change requires a joint effort by the international community, but equally so by natural and public or private legal persons, to urgently speed up the process. The European Union has been a leader in drafting and implementing the SDGs; however, the European Parliament considers the EU could go further in devising a common SDG strategy.

Read this briefing on ‘Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

As member states are locked into negotiations over the next EU budget, research has become an easy target for cuts. Meanwhile, EU-funded scientists urge that frontier research is becoming more important than ever with new challenges ahead.

A Turkish drone meant to help seek hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean landed at an airport on the divided island of Cyprus on Monday (16 December), a Turkish official said, in a move that could further stoke tensions between Turkey and Greece.

On Monday, MEPs will assess whether EU values are at risk in Hungary and Poland, with Commissioner Didier Reynders and Finnish Minister Tytti Tuppurainen.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

On Monday, MEPs will assess whether EU values are at risk in Hungary and Poland, with Commissioner Didier Reynders and Finnish Minister Tytti Tuppurainen.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

The results of the Climate Change Conference in Madrid have disappointed many participants as well as environmentalists and scientists. Key divisive issues were postponed for later discussion while relatively undemanding declarations of intent were adopted. Europe's commentators wonder whether climate protection - like the two-speed Europe - is an area where certain countries need to strike out on their own.

Higher recycling rates were a key enabling factor for the impressive 31% average reduction in carbon footprint over the 2006-2016 period, as highlighted in a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of aluminium beverage cans (25cl, 33cl and 50cl volumes) in...

Die Ergebnisse der Weltklimakonferenz in Madrid enttäuschen viele Teilnehmer ebenso wie Umweltschützer und Wissenschaftler. Streitpunkte wurden vertagt und wenig belastbare Absichtserklärungen formuliert. Europas Presse fragt sich angesichts dessen, ob beim Klimaschutz – analog zum Europa der zwei Geschwindigkeiten – ein Teil der Staaten alleine vorangehen muss.