Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques

Chris McMahon, Senior Research Fellow in Engineering at the University of Bristol explains the benefits of low-technology in our path to sustainability without the need to always look towards high-tech solutions in an article on The Conversation website.   Low-technology: why sustainability doesn’t have to depend on high-tech solutions It’s a popular idea that the path … Continue reading Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques

New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards

Breaches of EU air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide across Europe were predominantly due to road traffic, while domestic heating lay behind the majority of exceedances for particulate matter, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment on air quality plans published this week.   Emissions from road traffic and domestic heating behind breaches of … Continue reading New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards

New EEA briefings on impacts of textile consumption in Europe

Textile consumption in Europe has on average the fourth highest impacts on the environment and climate, following consumption of food, housing and mobility. Ahead of the expected EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published this week two briefings that look at measures to reduce those impacts, including on resource … Continue reading New EEA briefings on impacts of textile consumption in Europe

New EEA briefing on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic for sustainability

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted swift and forceful actions by governments and societies around the world. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing reflects on these responses and the link between the pandemic and the environment to draw lessons that could be used in making societies more sustainable.   What lessons does COVID-19 offer for sustainability? … Continue reading New EEA briefing on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic for sustainability

Using plastic is posing a threat to our healthy living

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star in Bangladesh writes on the paper’s website about the impact plastic has in the country. A World Bank study shows that there is a fundamental threat to the country’s future growth and prosperity  It is a detailed account that all readers should learn from.   Column … Continue reading Using plastic is posing a threat to our healthy living

The cost of abating the carbon impact of a proposed third runway at Heathrow has doubled since parliament approved the idea of expansion

While air travel has been subdued because of Covid-19, that does not mean that plans are not underway for expansion. In Britain, several years ago Parliament agreed to add a third runway to Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports. However, there is a requirement to offset the carbon emissions of the runway. Recent estimates … Continue reading The cost of abating the carbon impact of a proposed third runway at Heathrow has doubled since parliament approved the idea of expansion

New EEA reports show there are clear opportunities to decouple Europe’s waste generation from economic growth

In most European countries and in the EU as a whole, waste generation is growing but at a slower pace than the economy. However, there are no signs that the overall objective of reducing the total generation of waste is close to being achieved, according to a European Environment Agency report published recently. The report’s … Continue reading New EEA reports show there are clear opportunities to decouple Europe’s waste generation from economic growth

New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability

Most Europeans live in cities and cities are Europe’s economic, cultural, and political hubs. Cities face environmental and climate challenges but also hold keys to realise Europe’s sustainability ambitions. Two new assessments on urban sustainability, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today, combine several environment and climate themes, calling for better integration of policies … Continue reading New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability

China has a robust set of climate and energy policies and a strong track record when it comes to fulfilling its pledges to the international community: it just needs to do more

When it comes to climate change, no nation is more important than China. A common misconception is that China either lacks climate policies or fails to implement them. When it comes to China’s approach to climate change, the problem is not lack of policy implementation but rather a lack of policy ambition.  Phillip Stalley, Endowed … Continue reading China has a robust set of climate and energy policies and a strong track record when it comes to fulfilling its pledges to the international community: it just needs to do more

New EEA report on EU’s progress of phasing down the use of F-gases

The supply and use of climate-warming fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) rose slightly across the European Union and United Kingdom in 2020, according to the latest annual update on the EU’s progress of phasing down the use of F-gases published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) this week.   EU remains on track to phase-down use … Continue reading New EEA report on EU’s progress of phasing down the use of F-gases