The EU contributes to halting the global loss of biodiversity through conservation efforts within its own territory as well as at the global level. IEEP’s Marianne Kettunen explores the EU’s external biodiversity policy, arguing the need for a more coherent framework and effective implementation – and making the policy integral to EU’s action on SDGs at the global level.
In a published letter to The Guardian, IEEP's Alan Buckwell argues it is incorrect to describe payments to farmers who manage land for biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides as "subsidies".
Join PEGASUS stakeholders to discuss delivering environmental and social benefits from agriculture and forestry in a changing policy context.
The Final Conference of the PEGASUS project will take place in Brussels on Wednesday, 7 February 2018 (9:00-17:00). The event will summarise of the results of over 3 years of research on concrete ways to enhance the provision of public goods and ecosystem services by agriculture and forestry, and what this means for policy and practice.
Circular economy policies are proliferating and increasingly linked with other policy areas, including climate change. As seen at COP23, the circular economy can be better exploited to decarbonise the economy.
Dr. Andrew Farmer, Head of Industry, Waste and Water Programme, co-edited and co-wrote the book Environmental Crime in Europe published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Martin Nesbit, head of climate and governance and David Baldock, senior fellow at IEEP spoke at an evidence session of the House of Lords' Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Committee on 28 November.
The Future of Europe is everyone’s business and so is the impact of climate action over the decades to come.
The EU has to make sure it is able to tackle the biggest and longest-lasting policy challenge it faces. IEEP, E3G and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung Foundation have recently joined forces to make sure climate policy gets more attention as part of the Future of Europe debate launched by the Commission.
If caring for the planet starts from the ground, then caring for the planet starts with farmers, foresters and all others who manage and use the EU’s soils. It follows that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as a major driver of the decisions made by Europe’s 12 million farmers, is critical to securing responsible, long term management of our soils and related ecosystem services.
Céline Charveriat (IEEP) and Damien Demailly (IDDRI) discuss how the SDGs could be the key to launching the eagerly awaited debate on Europe’s future political priorities.
The first meeting of the EU Stakeholder Platform for the European Climate Foundation's (ECF) Agriculture net-zero 2050 projectwill take place on the 29th of November in Brussels. Event will discuss the main climate-related drivers of change in the agriculture and land using sectors. Building on the discussions, subsequent phases of the project will investigate what possible transition pathways could look like and what would need to change to enable them to be realised in practice.
It is clear that the 2030 Agenda will not be achieved without a more circular economy.
If all citizens of the world were to have the same consumption patterns as European citizens by 2050, the resources of two planets would be needed. Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns - through a circular economy - will have positive knock-on effects for a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Where: Room JDE 61, EESC, rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels
Speakers:
Christophe Yvetot, Representative to the EU, UNIDO – EU’s circular economy and sustainable industrialisation pathways in the developing world: opportunities, challenges and best practices
Werner Schmidt, Director, European Investment Bank – What instruments are there for financing the circular economy in developing countries?
Richard Gower, Senior Associate, Tearfund: How do we ensure that the circular economy benefits the world’s poor?
Marianne Kettunen, Deputy Head of Green Economy Programme, IEEP: Recommendations for policy design in the EU
While the stand-off on agriculture is continuing between developed and developing countries within climate negotiations, there is a growing consensus among experts that agriculture --and more generally the land use sector--needs to rise at the top of UNFCCC agenda.
On Wednesday 15th of November the European Parliament is expected to adopt a resolution on an EU Action Plan for nature, people and the economy. The Action Plan, intended to boost the implementation of the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directives, was presented by the European Commission in April this year following an in-depth fitness check.
IEEP spoke with Rob Hopkins (Transition Network) and Garry Peterson (Stockholm Resilience Centre) about the merits of building resilience and the challenges in measuring it.
The Commission’s renewed strategy on EU outermost regions puts forward a new approach to foster development and appears rather ‘green’, acknowledging the ORs’ rich biodiversity as a unique natural asset.
Europe needs to ratchet up its climate goals to deliver climate mitigation targets. At the UNFCCC's COP 23, IEEP will lead two side events looking at the role of land use and the agricultural sector in delivering this ambition. What will net zero emissions for agriculture look like, what policies are important in delivering Europe’s land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) goals? What is the role of agricultural policy?
In November, IEEP will lead three workshops in French Polynesia, Vanuatu and Fiji, looking at how to green taxes and subsidies in various economic sectors.
