A resource-efficient Europe
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European Commission Launches Sustainable Growth Initiative
17th February 2011 by Madlen King1 Comment
The European Commission has launched a flagship initiative under the 2020 strategy entitled
The document defines proposals for a strategic framework towards resource-efficient, and low-carbon growth in Europe and defines three conditions which must be met to achieve this
- coordinated action in a wide range of policy areas with political visibility and support.
- Urgent action due to long investment lead-times, and
- empowered consumers to move to resource-efficient consumption
The key components of this long-term framework will come in the form of a series of coordinated roadmaps to:
- Outline what the EU needs to do to create a low-carbon economy in 2050, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95%, as part of global efforts to fight climate change;
- Analyse how the EU can create an energy system by 2050 which is low-carbon, resource-efficient, secure and competitive
- Present a vision for a low-carbon, resource-efficient, secure and competitive transport system by 2050;
A number of medium-term measures have already been identified. These include:
- An energy efficiency plan with a time horizon of 2020 which will identify measures to achieve energy savings of 20% across all sectors;
- A new EU biodiversity strategy;
- A strategy to make the EU a ‘circular economy’, based on a recycling society with the aim of reducing waste generation and using waste as a resource;
- Early action on adaptation to climate change to minimise threats to ecosystems and human health, support economic development and help adjust our infrastructures to cope with unavoidable climate change;
- A water policy that makes water saving measures and increasing water efficiency a priority.
The next steps are for the Commission to make proposals for strategies to improve resource efficiency in the various policy areas defined. The Commission has invited the Council, the European Parliament, national parliaments, the Committee of the Regions, the European Economic and Social Committee, candidate countries and stakeholders to contribute to the further development of these strategies and the promotion of resource efficiency.
Madlen King is the Global Head of Climate Change & Sustainability. She ensures the technical integrity of LRQA climate change and sustainability services and liaises with external bodies and governments on climate change. Within this role, Madlen is responsible for the service design, delivery and maintenance of accreditations for all GHG validation and verification schemes [...]
17th February 2011 at 3:25 pm
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