The report summarises the state of play with the development of biodiversity targets for habitats and species within the EU (including in the proposed Restoration Law) and the UK. It compares theEU’s proposals with the targets that have been proposed so far in England and Northern Ireland, and concludes that they are not as ambitious, comprehensive or coherent as most of those of the EU. Whilst the legal requirement in England to halt the decline in species abundance is potentially world leading, as currently formulated, the species and habitat targets could be met whilst major declines in biodiversity continue, including in natural and semi-natural habitats and particularly vulnerable species groups.
While the EU has emerged as a global leader with regard to policymaking for the circular economy, the policy agenda to date has not focused on absolutele reduction of resource consumption. Despite the calls of the European Parliament and of an increasing number of Member States for greater efforts to reduce material consumption, the current EU agenda is missing material consumption reduction targets.
The consumption of plastic products in the EU creates significant environmental and social impacts along the whole value chain. Whilst the EU has in place a range of policies and legislation relevant to plastics, this briefing outlines some additional recommendations to address the potential negative spillovers from the pursuit of greater plastics circularity.
The European Green Deal (EGD) implementation would make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 by reducing GHG emissions by 55% compared with the 1990 levels. The agriculture sector will have a key role to play to reach this objective as it is expected to become the single largest emission source in the EU by 2030.
The European Commission proposed a zero-emission road mobility target for 2035 to reduce emissions produced by new passenger cars by 100% compared to 2021. Electric vehicles (EVs) are set to play a key role in decarbonising EU road transport, however, the net-zero transition will have implications for the EU's material demand and waste generation.
This new report reveals the scepticism of sustainability experts regarding the implementation status of the European Green Deal in the short term, but some cautious optimism post-2024. Based on insights from over 300 experts, the Green Deal Barometer provides recommendations for taking forward the implementation in the current crisis.
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence proposal has the potential to transform the way business is conducted in Europe. Consideration of climate change-related adverse human rights and environmental impacts should be central to due diligence frameworks in general and to the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD) proposal in particular.
The 2010 EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is one of the cornerstones of pollution control in the EU establishing a regulatory regime covering industrial activities that may cause pollution (to air, water and waste). The European Commission is proposing to amend the directive, which may cause legal divergence between the EU and UK. However, it is important to consider how industry is regulated in practice beyond the legal texts and compare this in the UK and in different EU member states.
This briefing maps out some of the principal spillovers that may be associated with the introduction of the ‘right to repair’ in the EEE sector in particular, including implications for job creation, labour standards and the role of social economy actors in the repair economy, as well as possible rebound effects both inside and outside the EU, and sets out some initial policy recommendations to address them.
The EU is moving ahead on its ambition to develop and implement a European circular economy, as ambitioned by the new Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and its subsequent proposals. However, this objective is inherently intertwined with the rest of the global trading system, in addition to continuous geopolitical developments which risk complicating an already complex transition.
This briefing provides support to the European Parliament delegation to the 10th session of the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (5-15 July 2022).
The long-awaited proposal for an EU nature restoration regulation was finally presented on 22 June by the European Commission, highlighting an ambitious legislative framework to restore degraded ecosystems in the EU.
After several delays, the highly anticipated proposal for an EU law on nature restoration is now out. The adoption of this proposal would mark a historic turning point for EU nature conservation. As it enters the EU legislative process, this is a critical moment to ensure its ambition remains high and that its key components are not watered down.
The Interinstitutional Agreement for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) set the ambition to provide a minimum of EU annual spending to biodiversity objectives, starting with 7.5% in 2024 and at least 10% in 2026 and 2027. From 2022, the European Commission must report annually on spending for the biodiversity objective.
International trade is a key enabler of a global and inclusive transition to a circular economy. However, inequities in power relations, digital trade capabilities, trade infrastructure, access to finance, and industrial and innovation capabilities mean that countries in the Global North are better positioned to reap the benefits of international trade than those in the Global South.
The way in which environmental legislation is developed, agreed and then implemented in the UK has changed fundamentally since Brexit. The full consequences of Brexit for environmental policy and law are too early to judge but unquestionably the first signs of divergence are occurring and this merits close attention.
Mitigating negative social impacts and maximising positive social impacts of climate and energy policies are central to building the political and social acceptability of the energy transition. If well-designed, the Fit for 55 package can lay the foundation for a just transition in Europe. Each of the files assessed in this briefing has the potential to deliver significant social benefits while accelerating the decarbonisation of the EU economy.
This brief reviews how far EU Member States’ CAP Strategic Plans address dependence on fertilisers and animal feed, and how action in this area could be stepped up before the Plans are approved by the European Commission.
IEEP hosted an online discussion forum for civil society to explore topics related to environmental justice and digitalisation. This is a summary of the discussion.
This report takes stock of the current status of the EU trade policy and proposes a set of recommendations for EU bilateral trade to make a positive contribution to sustainability globally. IEEP aims to contribute to the debate on the review of the European Commission's 15-points action plan to implement FTA TSD Chapters.
