A European Citizens’ Initiative has been launched to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, support farmers, and save bees and nature. If it gathers one million signatures by September 2020, the EU Commission and Parliament must consider turning the campaign’s demands into law. The aim of the ECI is to bring the European Commission to propose…
They are the climate champions who are flying the flag for innovation around the world. A ‘mini army’ of exciting entrepreneurs have been honoured at a prestigious event designed to promote the best in global greentech. Organised by EIT Climate-KIC, the finals of “ClimateLaunchpad”, the world’s largest green start-up competition, were held in Amsterdam on…
The upcoming COP25, the new European Commission, the EU member states, and the governments of all African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries can “no longer turn a blind eye” to the urgent need to immediately put into practice concrete and decisive common actions to tackle climate change, and to fairly combine development with sustainability That is the message from…
EU greenhouse gas emissions data is reported in line with international requirements and inventories of emissions have improved over time, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. However, better insight is needed into specific sectors such as agriculture and forestry, say the auditors. They also suggest further improvements to reporting on…
CEPI, the European association representing the paper industry, has established a new alliance called 4evergreen. The aim of the alliance is to boost the contribution of fibre-based packaging in a circular and sustainable economy that minimises climate and environmental impact. It is not specifically aiming to compete with the plastics industry, but it will…
The OCEAN2020 project, managed by a 42 partner consortium from 15 EU countries, has successfully launched its first sea demonstration in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy. The OCEAN2020 Live Sea Demonstration involves a total of 9 unmanned assets and six naval units from Italy, Spain, Greece and France. The deployment of manned and unmanned systems,…
The world is facing climate crisis and needs all the help it can get. But amazingly some countries are still playing political football with the environment – not because they are climate change deniers, but because they want to exclude willing volunteers for their own selfish political reasons and prevent certain countries from joining the…
In the first major vote of the new European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries, its 28 members today (12 November) decided to reopen the floodgates of overfishing in Europe. By 20 votes against 6 (and 2 abstentions), they confirmed the catastrophic position adopted by the former Parliament in April 2019. Among other things, this position reintroduced…
With the world facing environmental catastrophe from climate change, and calls for Europe to stop using all fossil fuels, why is the EU continuing to allow investment in gas infrastructure? Nord Stream 2 is entering the final stage of its construction after Denmark issued a permit to lay the pipe in its territorial waters. But…
On the eve of the latest round of UN ship climate negotiations at the International Maritime Organisation in London, a new report published by Seas at Risk and Transport & Environment has highlighted how slower ship speeds would massively reduce the damage shipping is causing to human health, nature and the climate. The large positive…
