Plans to reduce Europe’s waste and improve its air quality are being abandoned, the European Commission announced today with the release of its new work programme. Friends of the Earth Europe severely condemned the decision to drop what it saw as vital pieces of legislation to improve citizens’ health, protect the environment and ensure that …
Disgraceful plans to abandon air quality and waste laws
A leaked copy of the European Commission’s workplan, due to be formally announced on Tuesday 16 December, has revealed plans to abandon proposed legislation to improve resource efficiency and air quality in Europe. The workplan sets out the priorities of the European Commission – the European Union’s executive branch – for the next five years …
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Putting resource efficiency back on the agenda
“Doing what we been doing for the last 50 years is no longer an option.” That’s how Magda Stoczkiewicz, director of Friends of the Earth Europe, expressed the urgency of changing our relationship with the Earth’s resources at a conference in Brussels today. The conference – Putting resource efficiency back on the agenda – was …
Protecting resources and using them respectfully
The total amount of natural resources is limited. Non-renewable raw materials such as metals and oil are being used up. Other resources such as soils, water, or the atmosphere are overused. The amount of resource consumption due to our consumption of goods and services is enormous, and even today, it is far greater than what …
Briefing: The role of the European Parliament 2014-2019 in moving Europe to resource efficiency
Incoming Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who will be elected in May 2014, will have in their hands the potential to make the EU more resource efficient. Decisions made during their mandate have the possibility to make Europe a resilient continent to resource price fluctuation and increases, create half a million jobs in Europe, …
Briefing: The four footprints
Pressure on the world’s resources is rapidly increasing, as people’s living standards rise in many poorer countries across the world, while those in richer countries already use large amounts of resources. This is leading to volatile & increasing prices for key resources, and is creating negative environmental & social impacts like deforestation and high food …
