European Economic and Social Committee
In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene a Food Systems Summit as part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The Summit will focus on the the fact that we all must work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food.
The unprecedented mobilisation of civil society stakeholders at the 2015 COP21 in Paris which resulted in reaching a historic agreement on keeping a global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, demonstrated that climate governance and climate action rely heavily on the grassroots approaches of local climate actors, such as trade unions, companies, cities, communities.
On one of the most important weeks of the year for climate action, with the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the European Council on Climate, and the launching on 16 December of the Climate Pact by the European Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls upon ownership and empowerment of civil society as a precondition to success.
Lutz Ribbe, newly elected president of the Sustainable Development Observatory for the term 2020-2023, shares his views on Sustainable Development, the challenges ahead and the priorities of his mandate.
Young people have the right to have a say on matters that concern them. The climate emergency the world is facing today has mobilised millions of young people around the world, many of whom are profoundly affected by the threat it poses for their future. At the same time, it is the young people who have repeatedly demonstrated their energy, creativity and motivation to challenge current unsustainable models and push the decision-makers to adopt ambitious policies. Despite that, a wide gap remains between listening to young people, and actually acting upon their calls and demands.
Tackling climate and environmentally related challenges has become a top EU priority. From climate change to climate emergency, the EU needs to make substantial changes to foster a wellbeing economy and a future that is sustainable, cleaner, safer and healthier.
In the context of this year's World Population Day, Isabel Caño Aguilar, Vice-President in charge of Communication (EESC) writes an open letter on Gender Equality.
World Population Day will take place on Saturday 11 July, and this year's theme will be the unmet goals of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development – where governments recognised that reproductive health and gender equality were essential for achieving sustainable development.
As Europe slowly emerges from the coronavirus crisis, the climate emergency is starting to regain the place it deserves, coming back to the top of the EU agenda.
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which brings together civil society organisations from all Member States, developed this Opinion in response to a request by the Republic of Croatia's Presidency of the Council of the EU. The protection of the environment and the fight against climate change are the presidency's key issues.
The EESC's Sustainable Development Observatory is observing the World Environment Day and participates in the #ForestChallenge.
