Today marks the beginning of EU Green Week with a series of events. The central theme in the EU Green Week 2020 is “A New Beginning for People and Nature”. These events will explore ways that EU policies, such as the Green Deal can help protect and restore nature. The bar was set high by the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in 2019 with the ambitious goal of EU’s carbon neutrality by 2050.
What is the EU Green Week?
Green Week is the biggest annual conference on environmental policy in the EU. Specifically, it brings together policymakers, industry experts, NGOs and academics to exchange ideas and best practices in the field. As a result, it is an important platform to check on annual progress and the EU’s standing on critical environmental issues.
EU Green Week 2020 Agenda
One of the main focal points this year will be the biodiversity loss. Biodiversity defines the variety of life on Earth in all ecosystems. Also, biodiversity is the basis upon complex ecosystem services form, which are critical to humans. Some examples are the crop pollination, air and water purification, soil fertilization and more.
Furthermore, human economic activity also depends heavily on biodiversity for its resources. However, despite the apparent importance of biodiversity to humans, we are losing nature like never before. This loss is a result of resource overexploitation, pollution and due to climate change.
The Green Deal to Face the Problem
There is a consensus among the scientific community that there must be a halt to nature destruction. For this reason, we need to overhaul the way we live, consume and produce. Also, scientists warn that the steps we will take in this decade will determine the future. So, it is vital not to miss the tipping point that nature degradation is irreversible. As a result, the EU introduced the Green Deal, which aims to make the EU’s economy sustainable.
The aim is a carbon-neutral Europe through a series of actions. Some of these actions include incentives to shift to a circular economy, build energy-efficient buildings, provide cleaner public transport, decarbonization of the energy sector and more. It is a long way until we reach that goal, but it is paved with untapped potential.
Our Share of the Burden
In sharing the EU’s vision on a more sustainable and greener future, iED has developed a series of relevant projects. We fully endorse the idea of sustainable development, and our work heavily reflects that.
Also, understanding the need for further actions, we commit to expanding our project portfolio on sustainability issues further. We are always looking for collaborations that will enable us to flourish. If you share the same vision with us, apply to become a partner today.
