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The NAT section of the EESC is currently working on a number of opinions that are scheduled for adoption in the coming months. Find out more about our ongoing work by following this link.
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Meet our members | Thierry Libaert: his award-winning book on the environment and how to promote climate action
"I think there are two major mistakes when it comes to environmental awareness. First, that of believing that citizens are truly aware because they say so, then that of thinking that it is enough to inform people about the major environmental issues for people to become aware." says Thierry Libaert. Our Committee has an important role to play in raising awareness because we represent a large number of interests, because we are constantly seeking consensus rather than seeking to impose a point of view, because we favour debate and confrontation of ideas, because we are permanently in the field, we really have an irreplaceable role on the subject. Read more
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The EESC stresses the importance of more sustainable, fairer and more inclusive food systems
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) strongly advocates supporting the transformation of Europe's food systems so that they are more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, and notes that consumers have a key role to play in this context. It also stresses that cooperation (rather than competition) among food chain operators is essential to foster a more resilient and inclusive food system, ensuring a fair share for all. The EU must also focus on correcting the distortions currently disrupting food and agricultural markets, and on transforming the way it produces, consumes and thinks about food. In this context, the EESC welcomes the Commission's decision to draw up rules on unfair trading practices (UTPs) in the agricultural and food supply chain as a step forward in addressing power imbalances along the chain. Read more
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Frans Timmermans met European youth leaders to kick off the Youth Climate and Sustainability Round Tables
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) opinion on structured youth engagement on climate and sustainability in the EU decision-making process was adopted in September 2020 and it proposed, among other recommendations, the establishment of a Youth Climate and Sustainability Round Table to be hosted by the EESC in conjunction with the European Commission, European Parliament and youth organisations. The Commission welcomed the initiative as a useful tool to strengthen the EESC's consultative role and give the younger generation the possibility to share its views on the European Green Deal. Less than one year later, the first meeting with 11 youth representatives kicked off on 13 July 2021, attended by Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The next round table will be held in November. Read more
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ECESP, the joint initiative to foster the debate on the circular economy
The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee. Launched in 2017, the Platform is a hub for the circular economy community. It is a place for dialogue and a bridge between existing circular economy initiatives. During the 2020 Platform's annual conference, Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius officially launched the Platform's #EUCircularTalks concept. The idea is to establish a dynamic exchange opportunity and bring together circular economy stakeholders and experts to identify bottlenecks and opportunities. In 2021, the Platform organised over twenty #EUCircularTalks events with high-level representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and the EESC.
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EESC hearing on the new EU Forest strategy
As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission has recently adopted a new EU Forest Strategy for 2030 which covers the whole forest cycle and promotes the many services that forests provide. The NAT Section held a public hearing on the new EU Forest Strategy on 14 September, bringing together stakeholders, experts and representatives of European institutions to share ideas and discuss the state of Europe's forests, what sustainable forest management implies in practice and how forest stakeholders can best tap the economic and social benefits provided by forests and ensure forest ecosystem’s health and vitality. The contributions to the hearing will feed into the EESC opinion on the new EU Forest Strategy. In case you missed the hearing, you're invited to take a look at the presentations and the recording to catch up.
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EESC hearing on Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
The "Fit for 55" package puts the EU on track for a 55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030. As part of these legislative proposals, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) sets a carbon price on certain goods that are imported from non-EU countries. The NAT Section held a public hearing on CBAM on 16 September, bringing together speakers and participants from organised civil society, business associations, think tanks, as well as EU institutions to discuss the future design and implementation of CBAM. The contributions to the hearing will feed into the EESC opinion on CBAM. In case you missed the hearing, you're invited to take a look at the presentations and the recording to catch up.
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Communities for Future - Transformation through localisation of policy and decision-making
On 28 September 2021 the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), together with ECOLISE and RURENER held the closing event of the Communities for Future Week, a week-long series of events at EU, national and regional levels that explored how best to support ongoing work led by communities on climate change and sustainability in Europe, and encourage others to replicate and adapt that which is useful. This event was held in the context of the European Day of Sustainable Communities 2021 (EDSC21), an annual celebration of pioneering local communities across Europe who are taking action for a better, more sustainable world. It contributed to the debate of the Conference on the Future of Europe by fostering policy pathways and recommendations that reflect the reality and current solutions put to the front by community-led initiatives, citizens and organisations. In case you missed the event, a recording is available on our website. Read more
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The UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021
While progress to achieve the SDGs had been slow even before the pandemic struck, an additional 119-124 million people were pushed back into poverty in 2020. Even as pandemic erases decades of gains in development, response efforts show signs of renewed global commitment to accelerate SDG progress. The decisions and actions taken during the next 18 months will determine whether pandemic recovery plans will put the world on a course to reach the globally-agreed upon goals that aim to boost economic growth and social well-being while protecting the environment. “We are at a critical juncture in human history. The decisions and actions we take today will have momentous consequences for future generations,” said Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Read more
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The UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 report (SOFI 2021)
Is the world on track to achieve Zero Hunger?
Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already not on track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures to restrain it have dramatically magnified and increased these challenges. We are now at a critical moment in time that requires new food system approaches and urgent actions at scale to get back on track towards achieving SDG-2 and other SDGs. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021 (SOFI 2021) report presents the first comprehensive assessment of the state of hunger and food insecurity for 2020 based on fresh data collected around the world in a year heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes projections of what the number of undernourished people may look like in 2030, updated estimates of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet. Read more
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European Commission: 2021 Strategic Foresight Report
The second annual Strategic Foresight Report, ‘The EU’s capacity and freedom to act’, presents a forward-looking and multidisciplinary perspective on important trends affecting the EU’s capacity and freedom to act in the coming decades, including climate change and other environmental challenges. It addresses emerging issues, uncertainties and choices that will shape the future of Europe and the world, and sheds light on possible policy responses for the EU’s open strategic autonomy. The 2021 Strategic Foresight Report has also identified 10 strategic areas where the EU can strengthen its capacity and freedom to act. In its recently adopted opinion on strategic foresight, the EESC stresses that foresight will only achieve its stated objectives if it is an open and pluralistic as well as a diverse, cross-disciplinary exercise, involving organised social partners and civil society. Read more
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United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021: Process, challenges and expectations
The recently held UN Food Systems Summit was announced before the Covid 19 pandemic became a hunger crisis in many parts of the world. The stakes have risen acutely since then, bringing a new sense of urgency. The coronavirus crisis has thus created an opportunity to raise the level of reform ambition for global food systems, but also sparked a heated debate around the directions and shared costs of this transformation. On 23 September 2021, the UN FSS delegates were due to wrap up the process started almost two years ago, which has generated a remarkable level of mobilisation, awareness, and public debate through multiple platforms. The process so far has demonstrated that while there is ample consensus on the need for a profound reform of food systems, views diverge as to how to attain this goal. Read more
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report
The Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science, and combining multiple lines of evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, and global and regional climate simulations. The report provides a high-level summary of the understanding of the current state of the climate, including how it is changing and the role of human influence, the state of knowledge about possible climate futures, climate information relevant to regions and sectors, and limiting human-induced climate change. Read more
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RECENTLY ADOPTED OPINIONS
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At its 563rd plenary session, held on 22 and 23 September 2021, the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinions in the field of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment:
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07/10 | Cultivating Rural Business Success: RUBIZMO & LIVERUR Final Event
RUBIZMO and LIVERUR, both funded under the Horizon 2020 Programme, will bring together a wide variety of stakeholders on 7 October 2021 to officially mark the end of the two projects. While the projects are coming to an end, this event presents the opportunity to discuss and plan for the large-scale replication of innovative business models supporting sustainable growth and job creation in European rural areas. Practical examples identified throughout the two projects will be featured before and during the event. In addition, the final event will be the opportunity to capitalise on the tools developed by both projects. Speakers will include representatives from the European institutions, national and regional governments, agricultural industry, agricultural entrepreneurs and more. Read more
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22/10 | A green, digital and social recovery
The three Observatories of the European Economic and Social Committee will organise a conference on how the recovery and reconstruction funds should ensure a green, digital and social transition. It is crucial that recovery funding is sustainable as well as inclusive, and that it entails a ‘bounce forward’ for progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promotion of wellbeing-related goals, rather than a return to business as usual. The main purpose of this event is to present and discuss about the involvement of civil society in the implementation of the recovery plans, through concrete examples. The Conference will focus on three sectors in transition: energy, car industry and digitalization to analyse the opportunities and challenges to shift towards a wellbeing economy, aligned with the SDG Agenda. Read more
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EESC delegation at the COP26 – including a youth delegate!
As in previous years, the EESC will be present at the yearly Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – COP26, which this year takes place in Glasgow, Scotland, from 1-12 November 2021. The EESC strongly supports the objective of making the EU a climate neutral economy by 2050 in a socially fair and efficient manner. The EESC President will join our 6-Member delegation during their time in Glasgow (7-12 November) to engage in the exchanges on climate issues. A novelty of this mission will be a youth delegate who is joining the EESC delegation in order to integrate the intergenerational aspect, as proposed in our recent EESC opinion on structured youth engagement. The EESC will co-organise two side events in the EU Pavilion – more details soon!
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OTHER LINKS AND NEWSLETTERS
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- European Environment Agency - news
- European Commission - DG CLIMA - newsletter
- European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform - newsletter
- Eurpean Sustainable Development Network (ESDN) - newsletter
- European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) - newsletter
- FAO - newsletter
- ECOLISE - newsletter
- Via Campesina - press releases - newsletter
- Copa Cogeca - press releases
- The European Network for Rural Development - home - events
- Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) - latest news
- Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) - newsletter
- International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food) - updates
- Meta - the news channel of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) - news
- European Parliament - Envi Committee - newsletter
- EESC - Liaison Group - newsletter
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European Economic and Social Committee
Rue Belliard 99, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
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