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.
Gemma Darwin interviews IEEP’s principal policy analyst, Marianne Kettunen, to find out more about the highs and lows of a career in environmental policy.
A European system for chemicals regulation makes obvious sense – but Brexit risks leaving the UK without access to that system. Nigel Haigh, former Executive Director of IEEP, explains that even if the UK secures an overall deal, there are big challenges to finding an answer to the chemicals conundrum.
The EU’s Regulation on invasive alien species outlines actions to deal with one of the world’s biggest threats to biodiversity, but are there still hurdles to overcome?
Globally, around 12.7 million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste enter the ocean every year (Jambeck et al., 2015). This is equivalent to each citizen of the world dumping almost 2 kg of plastic in the ocean annually. Plastics and marine litter are one of the biggest environmental challenges of today. They are not only an eyesore, but represent major risks to human health and biodiversity, as well as to many sectors of the economy. So far global leadership and action on this issue has been lacking, but this is changing.
Juncker’s State of the European Union speech sets an ambitious path for a stronger Europe, and while his ambition for climate leadership is welcome, he was mostly silent about wider environmental sustainability.
We are seeking a motivated recent graduate or stagiair(e) to support our research projects, with a focus on the contribution of agriculture to climate mitigation and adaptation and soil protection in Europe.
