A profound rethink of how we produce food and operate global food chains and related industrial processing sectors is needed to make them resilient and sustainable. Much more must be done to reduce their GHG emissions as well as their pressures on water resources and biodiversity — efforts which are currently almost stagnant — according … Continue reading New EEA briefings on sustainability of agriculture and food systems
Category: Sustainable development
Accelerating SDG7 action
Sustainable Development Goal 7 is one of 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. It aims to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all." It is important to look at the work that is underway through the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy to see what … Continue reading Accelerating SDG7 action
A social tariff has shielded eligible households in Belgium from price fluctuations since 2002
While governments focus on how to protect consumers from escalating energy prices, Belgium shows an important way forward. Since 2002, eligible households have been shielded from price fluctuations in the energy market. People don’t have to struggle. Carl Packman discusses the approach taken by Belgium in an article on The Guardian website. There is … Continue reading A social tariff has shielded eligible households in Belgium from price fluctuations since 2002
Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt
The share of journeys made by car in the city has fallen by nearly half, and the trend is only accelerating. Peter Yeung discusses the trend in Paris in an article on the Reasons to be Cheerful website. Cars Are Vanishing from Paris Bright parasols, wooden sun loungers and expanses of golden sand suddenly … Continue reading Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt
New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020
Average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new cars dropped by 12% in 2020 compared to the year before, according to final figures published this week by the European Environment Agency. The main reason for the sharp decrease of emissions was a surge in the share of electric vehicle registrations. Average carbon dioxide emissions from … Continue reading New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020
Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further
The world’s most vulnerable countries are preparing to take on the richest economies with a demand for urgent finance. This “loss and damage” issue gained momentum since COP26 in Glasgow last year. Fiona Harvey writes on The Guardian website howe vulnerable many countries are. Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss … Continue reading Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further
WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets
As we wonder about the impact of carbon offsets, the World Economic Forum provides a podcast that should give us a wider view of their benefits. Robin Pomeroy, Podcast Editor at the WEF, discusses carbon offsets with Rachel Kyte, co-chair of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative and with Dharsono Hartono, UpLink Top Innovator, and … Continue reading WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets
New EEA report on the feasibility of Europe achieving the zero pollution action plan’s noise reduction target
About 18 million people suffer long-term annoyance from transport noise in the EU. The European Commission’s zero pollution action plan aims to reduce the number of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30% by 2030, compared to 2017 levels. According to the European Environment Agency’s assessment, published this week, reaching this target is unlikely … Continue reading New EEA report on the feasibility of Europe achieving the zero pollution action plan’s noise reduction target
Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry
Spain’s Jaén Province, home to one fifth of the world’s supply of “green gold,” is having to cope with climate change and threats to its way of life. David Segal and José Bautista discuss in an article on the New York Times website. The Olive Oil Capital of the World, Parched The branch, plucked … Continue reading Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry
While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise”
In an article on The Guardian website, Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL, argues that the goal of 1.5C by 2030 is arbitrary and now unachievable – yet working to prevent every 0.1C rise can still give us hope. What do you think? Why we should forget about the … Continue reading While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise”
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 