New EEA briefing — From data to decisions: material footprints in European policy making

What is the material footprint of key European consumption sectors? While the overall material footprint — or the amount of raw materials extracted from nature in and outside of the EU to deliver goods and services — remained stable over the past decade, more measures need to be taken to reduce resource consumption in the … Continue reading New EEA briefing — From data to decisions: material footprints in European policy making

Report from the ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum 2024

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) published the report of the ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum 2024 that was held in New York, September 25-27. The first ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum convened in September 2022, bringing together a range of stakeholders to focus on ways to accelerate energy access and the energy transition. Below is … Continue reading Report from the ENERGYNOW SDG7 Action Forum 2024

Reaction from the UN Summit of the Future

Last week, EiD previewed the UN Summit of the Future. The Summit that took place in New York over the weekend pitched strengthened diplomatic cooperation as the key to protecting the rights of present and future generations from environmental breakdown, amongst other issues. Pierre Cannet is global head of public affairs and policy at ClientEarth … Continue reading Reaction from the UN Summit of the Future

Understanding the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

In an article on the Green Transition website from Canada, Will Dubitsky gives a good overview of the role and importance of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.   CSRD: EU revolutionizing corporate sustainability accountability and decisions Introduction The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), many years in the making, is revolutionary.  CSRD will replace … Continue reading Understanding the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

Editorial from EEA Executive Director on reaching our desired destination: a sustainable, resilient Europe

The Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, Leena Ylä-Mononen, has published a very insightful and valuable editorial this week as the new policy cycle begins in the European Union.   Time to speed up towards a sustainable and resilient Europe Europe’s economy and wellbeing of its citizens depend crucially on a healthy and resilient … Continue reading Editorial from EEA Executive Director on reaching our desired destination: a sustainable, resilient Europe

New EEA briefing on the use of “forever chemicals”

Reducing the use of PFAS —known as forever chemicals— in clothing, furniture and other textile products, is important to increase recyclability and the transition to a more circular economy according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week.   Safe and sustainable alternatives could reduce use of PFAS in textiles and enhance reuse … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the use of “forever chemicals”

European Commission unveils State of the Energy Union Report 2024

This week, the Commission has published the State of the Energy Union Report 2024 which describes how the EU has managed unprecedented challenges in the energy policy landscape during this Commission's mandate, equipping the EU with a regulatory framework for pursuing the clean energy transition and laying the foundations for renewed economic growth and competitiveness. … Continue reading European Commission unveils State of the Energy Union Report 2024

Energy upgrade the building stock, IEA tells UK government

Andrew Warren, chair of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, in a column in the September issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry, takes a look at a new report from the IEA which highlights the need for the UK to address the energy efficiency of existing buildings.   Appraisal of the UK’s energy policy Every … Continue reading Energy upgrade the building stock, IEA tells UK government

EEA publishes updated European city air quality viewer: Uppsala is Europe’s cleanest city

Published this week, European Environment Agency’s (EEA) updated European city air quality viewer shows that people in Uppsala and Umeå, Sweden, and Faro, Portugal, can enjoy the cleanest city air in Europe. Three out of four Europeans live in urban areas and most of them are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. Improving air … Continue reading EEA publishes updated European city air quality viewer: Uppsala is Europe’s cleanest city

Olympic sports and their sustainability strategies

Thomas Cuckston, Professor of Accounting and Ecology, University of Birmingham writes on The Conversation website about the sustainability of the sports that participated in the recent Paris Olympics. The final paragraph sums up the results very well: “While some sports are showing impressive leadership, others are falling behind. Some are not showing any signs of … Continue reading Olympic sports and their sustainability strategies