Carmakers Among Key Opponents of Climate Action

11.10.2019

automobil_car_oldtimer_oldtajmer — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Global carmakers are among the leading opponents of action on the climate crisis, according to exclusive analysis of the way major corporations frustrate or undermine initiatives to cut greenhouse gases.

The research for the Guardian reveals that while the automotive industry releases public statements that support climate initiatives, such as increased electrification, it has been pouring millions of dollars through industry bodies into lobbying efforts to challenge attempts to tackle global heating in the past four years.

This is despite repeated warnings that the planet is in the grip of a global climate emergency.

The study was undertaken by InfluenceMap, an independent research group, as part of the polluters project.

The evidence was gathered by assessing each company’s size and lobbying activities. Researchers assessed tens of thousands of statements, policy announcements and lobbying campaigns by the 250 biggest investor-owned industrial corporations and trade associations.

InfluenceMap used a definition of what constitutes lobbying drawn from the UN-backed Guide For Responsible Corporate Engagement in Climate Policy.

The research revealed that since 2015, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Daimler, BMW, Toyota and General Motors have been among the strongest opponents of regulations to help countries meet the 1.5C warming limit in the Paris agreement.

In the four years since then, lobbying from the car industry in the US and Europe has attempted to block, delay and frustrate initiatives to regulate and reduce emissions from the transport sector – which is responsible for 15% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions – and slow the move to electric vehicles, the report says.

Edward Collins, author of The Carbon Policy Footprint, said: “Corporations have a profound impact on the climate change agenda not only through physical emissions but through influencing of the climate change policy agendas being introduced by governments around the world.

“The sector has dug in hard to dampen rising vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards. Through their lobbying, auto companies have delayed the transition of a sector that sucks up a huge proportion of oil demand globally.”

The Guardian contacted all the named car companies and their responses are set out here. Most said they were committed to reducing emissions and moving their fleets to lower-emission models but the transition had to take into account other factors including market realities, customer preference, and infrastructure development.

Ford denied it was pushing for a rollback of emissions standards in the US. It pointed to its recent agreement with California to increase gas mileage standards and reduce emissions.

InfluenceMap identified 33 corporations as the strongest opponents of action to reduce climate change. Six of them were car companies, and the rest primarily oil and gas companies as well as energy firms.

The lobbying efforts are revealed as countries increasingly set targets to phase out new sales of cars with internal combustion engines – the Netherlands and Norway by 2025, Germany, India and China by 2030, and France and the UK by 2040.

The influence exerted by the car companies is fronted and aided by industry groups including the US-based Automotive Alliance, as well as Europe’s ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association) and the VDA (German Association of the Automotive Industry). These groups all have senior figures from the big car companies on their boards of directors.

Fiat Chrysler was ranked most oppositional to climate change regulations and initiatives, Collins said. The company is a “key player” in the industry’s efforts to weaken US clean car standards, known as CAFE standards, set by Barack Obama, which would almost double the fuel economy of vehicles to an average of 54 miles per gallon by 2025.

Fiat Chrysler has supported a review of the CAFE standards being considered by the president, Donald Trump. Its late CEO, Sergio Marchionne, said last year he was “fully supportive” of the administration’s efforts to revise the standards.

New Challenges Facing Europe’s Waste Water Treatment Plants Present Opportunities

11.10.2019

waste_water_treatment_prerada_otpadnih_voda — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ivan Bandura)

More investment is needed to make urban waste water treatment plants fit to meet the difficult challenges posed by the impacts of climate change, as well as the presence of antibiotics and other micro-pollutants in waste water, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA).

Much has already been done in recent decades to improve waste water treatment, according to the EEA briefing ‘urban waste water treatment for 21st century challenges’. The proportion of households connected to treatment facilities varies across Europe, from 97% in western and central Europe, to around 70% in southern, south-eastern and eastern Europe. However, urban waste water treatment now needs to address challenges like climate change, changes in population and newly emerging pollutants.

Extreme weather events linked to climate change are bringing heavier and more frequent rainfall in some areas, but water scarcity in others, affecting how well storm sewers and treatment plants operate. Excessive rainstorms can overwhelm and overload sewer systems and lead to overflows at treatment plants, while a lack of rainfall can lead to problems in collection and treatment of sewage.

Such challenges are added to those routinely addressed by local authorities and water utilities, including financing construction, maintenance, operation and upgrades, as well as sourcing and retaining suitably skilled staff to deliver the necessary improvements in waste water treatment.

The EEA briefing also notes that antibiotics and other excreted pharmaceuticals are increasingly being found in waste water. These chemicals are among those forming a cocktail mix of chemicals, which cannot be easily tackled by many treatment plants, as they require costly, more stringent and energy-intensive treatment techniques.

Sustainable solutions and investments are key

The briefing notes that energy costs and scarce resources are reasons to promote water efficiency. Furthermore, they provide an opportunity for treatment plants to contribute more to recycling and reusing water and recovering materials like phosphorus, which can be collected during the treatment cycle. The briefing cites some examples of investments already being taken across Europe to improve waste water treatment resilience, with the use of retention ponds and rainfall reservoirs to manage water flows from flash floods, or in reusing water that has been treated and cleaned.

Source: EEA

IEA Invites You to Have Your Say on Energy Efficiency

09.10.2019

construction_građevina_insulation_izolacija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The International Energy Agency is inviting input from people around the world on ways to jump-start progress on energy efficiency. The contributions will help to inform the work of the Global Commission for Urgent Action on Energy Efficiency.

Established earlier this year, the Global Commission now has 21 members, including national leaders, current and former ministers, top business executives and global thought leaders. It will produce recommendations for new and stronger policy action by governments.

By completing a brief online survey, interested parties have the opportunity to provide valuable input to inform the discussions of the Global Commission as it works to develop its final recommendations.

“The benefits of energy efficiency are indisputable, but more action is needed to realise its full potential. These discussions are the perfect opportunity to identify how to accelerate progress,” said Dr Brian Motherway, the IEA’s Head of Energy Efficiency Division.

Energy efficiency has tremendous potential to help the world meet international climate goals while supporting energy security and economic growth. However, policy implementation has stalled, and countries are failing to take full advantage of these benefits. Energy intensity – the amount of energy required to produce one unit of global gross domestic product – is not improving quickly enough to offset strong energy demand and CO2 emissions growth. The recommendations of the Global Commission will be focused on reversing this trend.

Take the survey!

Source: IEA

Cotton Sustainability Is Key for Rural Development

09.10.2019

cotton_field_polje_pamuka — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Trisha Downing)

Managing trade policy and climate risks are critical to supporting the more than 25 million farmers who grow cotton, experts gathered here emphasized.

“Cotton represents so much more than just a commodity: It is a culture, a way of life, and a tradition that finds its roots at the heart of human civilization,” said FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu at a World Cotton Day event held on Thursday at the World Trade Organization’s headquarters here.

“Cotton provides employment and income for some of the poorest or most remote rural areas in the world,” Qu added.

World Cotton Day is being held at the initiative of the “C-4” countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali – and is being hosted at the WTO with the collaboration of FAO, the UN Conference on Trade and Development and other organizations.

“It is critical that the cotton sector meets the highest standards of sustainability at all stages of the value chain”, the Director-General said.

Natural fibers are opportunity

Qu also spoke at a side event organized by FAO to discuss market and policy trends for the cotton sector, which has an annual turnover of around $50 billion with a production of 25 million tonnes in 75 countries. International trade in cotton is estimated at US$ 18 billion annually.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Janko Ferlic)

Cotton is a major source of livelihoods and incomes for many rural smallholders and laborers, including women, providing employment and income to some of the poorest rural areas in the world.

In many, regions, cotton is the only viable economic activity available to rural households and communities and the sector benefits more than 100 million families worldwide. For example, cotton export earnings help to finance 50 percent of the food import bills for Mali and 22.5 percent of those for Chad, while they more than offset the cost of food imports in Burkina Faso, accounting for as much as 60 percent of the country’s export revenues.

A particular focus of the discussion was how to tackle the opportunities offered by growing demand for natural fibers in recent years, as part of a marked trend toward sustainability which has provided further market opportunities for cotton fibres. Despite this there is a loss in market share for the natural fiber triggered by robust demand for the man-made fibers, most notably polyester.

In addition, there are exogenous risks because of climate change.

FAO has long offered developing countries technical and policy support for boosting productivity and creating more opportunities in the cotton value chain. There is a need to keep increasing productivity, investment and bring innovation and sustainable standards to increase the benefits of the cotton sector.

FAO’s South-South framework has also been leveraged in the cotton sector, in which China and India are the biggest producers and Brazil the second exporter after the United States of America.

Source: FAO

Insecticide Blamed for the Deaths of 200 Native Birds in Australia

07.10.2019

wedge_tailed_eagle_orao_australia_australija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

An insecticide is likely to be behind the deaths of almost 200 native birds in northeast Victoria, environment officials believe.

After dead wedge-tailed eagles were found near Violet Town in August the state’s environment department found more – along with hawks and falcons – on a nearby property.

They have since found up to 200 dead native birds in the area, including 25 wedge-tailed eagles.

Tests on six eagles have detected an insecticide used to control mites.

The same agricultural chemical has been found in the carcasses of animals suspected of being used as bait. The department believes it may have caused all the bird deaths. But it is not sure whether the poisoning was accidental.

“It remains unclear if these birds were deliberately poisoned, however given the large number of birds found nearby, it’s a possibility,” the environment department compliance manager, Andrew Dean, said.

Raids have also taken place in recent weeks at properties in Shepparton East and Goomalibee.

“All evidence collected will be forensically analysed, including the carcasses and chemicals seized, which may take some time,” Dean said.

Native birds are protected under the Wildlife Act and deliberately killing them can result in a fine of up to $39,652 or up to two years in prison.

Source: Guardian

Food Price Index Holds Steady

06.10.2019

wheat_pšenica_žito — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Polina Rytova)

Global food prices were steady in September, as lower sugar prices were offset by increased quotations for vegetable oils and meat.

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 170 points in September, virtually unchanged from August and 3.3 percent higher than in the same month in 2018.

The FAO Cereal Price Index held steady on the month, as wheat prices rose while those of maize declined. International rice prices fell modestly amid slow import demand and uncertainties surrounding policies in the Philippines and Nigeria.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 1.4 percent in September to its highest level in more than a year. The increase was driven by steady demand from India and China for palm oil imports and higher price quotations for rapeseed oil, linked to firm demand from the European Union’s biodiesel sector. Soy and sunflower oil prices both dropped.

The FAO Sugar Price Index declined 3.9 percent from August, driven by the expectations of ample stocks and supply trends as well as reduced demand in Brazil for sugarcane to use in the production of ethanol.

The FAO Dairy Price Index declined 0.6 percent, as higher quotations for milk powders were more than offset by falling cheese and butter prices, especially at the lower end of the price range.

The FAO Meat Price Index rose 0.8 percent, driven by solid import demand from China. While pigmeat prices in China, the world’s largest market, remained at the high levels recorded in August, increased export supplies in Europe prodded pigmeat prices in international markets lower.

Updated cereal forecasts

In the new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief also published today, FAO slightly lowered its forecast for global cereal production in 2019 to 2 706 million tonnes, which would amount to 2.0 percent higher than in 2018.

The reduction reflected a cut to Australia’s wheat harvest due to dry weather and trimmed projections for rice output in China, India, the Philippines and the United States of America.

Meanwhile, FAO raised its estimates for worldwide coarse grains production based on an improved outlook for barley production and better maize prospects in Brazil and the U.S.

World cereal utilization in the year ahead is now forecast at 2 714 million tonnes, slightly trimmed from last month’s estimates but still a record high. World cereal stocks are now expected to amount to 850 million tonnes by the close of the 2020 seasons, down 2.0 percent from their opening levels. Global wheat inventories are anticipated to expand by 1.6 percent, while those of maize will likely register a significant decline, mostly due to expected sharp drawdowns in China.

FAO left its forecast for world trade in cereals in 2019/20 unchanged at around 415 million tonnes. World wheat and rice exports are set to rebound, while those of coarse grains are expected to decline.

Source: FAO

Populations of UK’s Most Important Wildlife Have Plummeted Since 1970

04.10.2019

hedgehog_jež — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Tadeusz Lakota)

Populations of the UK’s most important wildlife have plummeted by an average of 60% since 1970, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date.

The State of Nature report also found that the area inhabited by officially designated “priority species” has shrunk by 27%. The species are those deemed most important and threatened, and include hedgehogs, hares and bats, many birds such as the willow tit and the turtle dove, and insects such as the high brown fritillary butterfly.

The report finds the losses to all animals, plants and marine life show no sign of letting up, despite some successes in protecting individual species. It found that 41% of species have decreased in abundance, while just 26% have increased.

A quarter of UK mammals and nearly half of the birds assessed are at risk of extinction, according to the report, which was produced by a coalition of more than 70 wildlife organisations and government conservation agencies. When plants, insects and fungi are added, one in seven of the 8,400 UK species assessed are at risk of being completely lost, with 133 already gone since 1500.

The causes of the losses are the intensification of farming, pollution from fertiliser, manure and plastic, the destruction of habitats for houses, the climate crisis and invasive alien species. The State of Nature report shows no significant improvement since the last one in 2016, which said the UK was “among the most nature-depleted countries in the world”.

The losses mirror the global annihilation of wildlife, which scientists suggest is the start of the sixth mass extinction on Earth and is undermining the natural life-support systems that humanity relies on for air, water and food.

“We know more about the UK’s wildlife than any other country on the planet, and what it is telling us should make us sit up and listen,” said Daniel Hayhow of the RSPB, the lead author of the report. “We need to respond more urgently across the board.”

Sophie Pavelle, a young conservationist who contributed to the report’s foreword, said: “I have felt the loss of nature more acutely this year than any other. A dawn chorus less deafening; hedgerows less frantic; bizarre, worrying weather. It seems that in a more complex world, nature is tired, muted and confused.”

Paul de Zylva of Friends of the Earth said: “As we lose nature, we lose a huge part of what makes us happy and healthy. UK ministers and businesses persist in planning and funding disastrous projects and practices, often with public money.” Repeated declarations by the government to halt and reverse the decline of nature have not been followed by matching action, he said.

“We recognise that the continuing declines in biodiversity require urgent action from across society,” said Marcus Yeo, the chief executive of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the UK’s official conservation advisers. Government funding for wildlife and nature has fallen by 42% since 2009, while an official report in March concluded the UK will miss almost all its 2020 nature targets.

In addition to the 214 priority species analysed in the report, a broader examination of almost 600 species also found a drop in population of 13% since 1970. But the report states: “Prior to 1970, the UK’s wildlife had already been depleted by centuries of persecution, pollution, habitat loss and degradation.”

Europe’s Circular Economy Still in Its Infancy

04.10.2019

recycle_reuse_circular_economy_reciklaža_cirkularna_ekonomija — Photo-illustration: PIxabay

Circular material use can minimise waste and resource extraction, improve resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to conserving biodiversity. However, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, circular economy initiatives in Europe are still at an early stage and would benefit from more investments in upscaling promising innovations and in monitoring progress towards circularity.

The EEA report ‘Paving the way for a circular economy: insights on status and potentials’ takes stock of the initiatives for creating a circular economy that reduce the use of natural resources and minimise harmful emissions and waste.

European companies are increasingly adopting circular business models, focused mainly on operational efficiency and reducing waste, according to the report. Shifting from product-based to service-based business models is another promising development. The biggest obstacles to greater uptake of such models appear to be corporate culture, market factors and system complexity.

EEA surveys indicate that 21 out of 32 responding EEA member countries already support circular economy initiatives. Countries use regulation and market-based instruments mainly for recycling, energy recovery and waste management, while eco-design, consumption and reuse are typically targeted with softer policy instruments such as information campaigns and labels.

The new report also notes that monitoring progress on circular economy needs further investment. Many relevant data — for example, on the production and consumption phase of product lifecycles — are not available in established information systems, including national statistics. The EEA report also points out that circular economy policies and initiatives require better integration with bio-economy and climate policies.

‘Circular economy in Europe: insights on progress and prospects’ is the fourth EEA report on the circular economy. The three previous reports were:

Source: EEA

WHO Director-General Visits Devastated Sites in the Bahamas

03.10.2019

The world must rally around the Bahamas in the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Dorian which has not only cost many lives and livelihoods but caused severe damage to essential infrastructure, depriving communities of vital services at a critical time, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, upon completion of a visit to the Bahamas.

“It breaks my heart to see the devastation to communities and families who have lost friends and loved ones as well as their homes, possessions and access to crucial services,” said Dr Tedros. “Hurricane Dorian is another urgent reminder that we must address the drivers of climate change and invest more in resilient communities. The longer we wait, the more people will suffer. We need to keep the world and people safe.”

During his visit, Dr Tedros met with the Governor-General, Minister of Health and other government officials and commended their preparedness, readiness and efforts to mitigate the damage caused by the hurricane.

The visit included stops in Abaco and Grand Bahama islands where most households and infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, were completely destroyed. Dr Tedros was accompanied by Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands. Hurricane Dorian hit the country on 1 September 2019, affecting 75 000 people. About 1500 people are still being housed in shelters; about 600 are still missing; and 56 are confirmed dead.

The health sector in Abaco and Grand Bahama suffered a substantial blow, with equipment and medical supplies destroyed and electrical and water supplies interrupted. In Grand Bahama three health clinics have been destroyed and two in Abaco.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO-WHO) is the only United Nations agency with a physical presence in the Bahamas. PAHO-WHO has deployed 20 staff members and coordinated the mobilization of 5 International Emergency Medical Teams for the response. Dr Tedros thanked the teams for their rapid response and tireless service to the most vulnerable.

WHO has mobilized USD 1 million from the Contingency Fund for the hurricane response. Dr Tedros reiterated WHO’s commitment to support the government and people of the Bahamas for the recovery of the health system.

Globally, WHO will continue to work with Member States to make the health sector more resilient and to mitigate the effects of climate change, especially in Small Islands Developing States that are in greatest jeopardy despite contributing the least to the problem. Last week at the Climate Action Summit in New York, WHO called on countries to commit to cut carbon emissions, clean our air, save lives, and significantly scale up investment in proven interventions for climate-resilient health systems.

Source: WHO

EU Imposes Hen Welfare Standards on Egg Imports for First Time

02.10.2019

chicken_hens_farming_kokoške — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A trade agreement to import produce into the European Union is set to be conditional upon animal welfare requirements for the first time.

Eggs imported from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to member states will only be duty-free if the hens are kept in line with EU standards under the provisional terms of the new EU-Mercosur trade agreement.

Previous EU free trade deals have included aspirational provisions on animal welfare, such as the 2014 EU-Ukraine association agreement, but this is the first time the elimination of tariffs have been conditional upon particular standards being upheld.

Campaigning organisation Eurogroup for Animals welcomed the condition – which it hailed as “an important turning point in EU trade policy” – but criticised the absence of a similar prerequisite for meat and egg product imports, and called for the approach to be extended.

The RSPCA said the announcement that the agreement would be conditional on meeting EU animal welfare standards established “an important precedent” and was a highly significant move.

“It is the first time animal welfare standards have been incorporated into tariffs in an EU trade agreement, and something the RSPCA has been advocating for 15 years,” a spokesperson said.

“We urge the UK to do the same as it leaves the EU, by rolling over this particular trade agreement and including those welfare standard conditions in any future post-Brexit free trade agreements.”

The agreement was quietly made public in a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development at the European Parliament last Wednesday, after a leaked document seen by the Guardian suggested the EU had made the demand back in 2016 during the drawn-out negotiations with Mercosur.

“There is a cooperation provision in the agreement on animal welfare issues with the very clear objective to improve the level of animal welfare, particularly in the Mercosur countries, to bring them up to our world leading standards,” said John Clarke, director of international affairs at the European Commission’s directorate-general for agriculture and rural development.

“For the first time in any trade agreement, we have a condition attached to the export of eggs from Mercosur. They can only be exported at zero-duty if the Mercosur producers meet European standards for laying hens.”

Copa-Cogeca, a group that represents European farmers, called for greater work to be done to ensure states with bilateral trading agreements have reciprocal animal welfare standards.

“This is central for us, as currently animal welfare is not a universally accepted concept amongst our trading partners,” a spokesperson said. “Some of our trading partners have committed to align their animal welfare standards with the EU, but all too often they have failed to do so.”

Compliance with EU laws adds 16% to the cost price of an egg, according to the European Egg Processors Association. It said the condition would help make eggs from EU producers more competitive with foreign imports.

The British Egg Industry Council said that while the announcement represented “a step forward” it wanted to see the same animal welfare conditions apply to egg products and eggs used as ingredients in food exported to the UK.

European Commission sources downplayed the significance of the trade condition and said it would not have a major impact as shelled egg imports from Mercosur countries were limited.

Both sides are now preparing the final version of the trade agreement, the largest the EU has ever struck in terms of tariff reduction, before it is submitted to EU member states and the EU parliament for approval.

From 2012, farmers across the EU were no longer allowed to keep hens in barren battery cages, within which movement is extremely restricted. However, the cages were often replaced with more spacious versions and a large proportion of the EU’s 500 million hens remain caged for their entire lives.

Source: Guardian

World’s First 5-Country Biosphere Reserve Nominated to UNESCO

01.10.2019

krems_danube_river_austria — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Today, thirty years after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia submitted an historic UNESCO application to establish the first 5-country biosphere reserve in the world. With a total area of around 930,000 hectares and a length of 700 kilometres, the shared nature and wildlife along the Mura, Drava and Danube Rivers will become Europe’s largest river protection area. The so-called “Amazon of Europe” begins at the Austrian Mura River and extends over the Drava to the Danube in Serbia. Until 1989, the river landscape had been torn apart by the Iron Curtain. “This landmark cross-border nomination is a powerful demonstration of a shared green vision that builds on, and reinforces both regional cooperation and unity in Europe. It is a significant step forward in protecting the region’s natural treasures and serves as a striking example of how nature conservation can bring countries together” says Andreas Beckmann, CEO of WWF Central and Eastern Europe. The designation is expected to be approved and announced by UNESCO in June 2020.

The basis for the nomination was forged in 2011 when the environmental ministers of all five countries signed a joint declaration committing themselves to establishing the trans-border biosphere reserve. In 2012, the riverine areas in Croatia and Hungary were granted biosphere reserve status, soon followed by Serbia (2017), Slovenia (2018) and Austria (2019). The joint nomination connects all five pieces into one coherent protected area. The strictly protected core and buffer zone consisting of 13 major individual protected areas amounts to 280,000 hectares. It is surrounded by 650,000 hectares of transitional zone.

With its rare floodplain forests, gravel and sand banks, river islands and oxbows, the area offers a unique natural and cultural landscape. With more than 140 pairs, the Amazon of Europe is home to Europe’s highest density of breeding white-tailed eagle, as well as endangered species such as the little tern, black stork, otters, beavers and sturgeons. It is also an important annual resting and feeding place for more than 250,000 migratory birds. “Five countries have agreed to jointly protect an area which is one of the richest in terms of species diversity in Europe. Such floodplain areas are only surpassed by tropical rainforests”, says Arno Mohl, Programme Leader at WWF-Austria and long-time campaigner for the protection of the Mura, Drava and Danube Rivers.

Model region for nature conservation and sustainable regional development

The region’s identity, as well as the livelihoods of almost 900,000 inhabitants living in the biosphere reserve highly depend on the Mura, Drava and Danube lifelines. Intact floodplains protect settlements from floods and ensure clean drinking water supplies, whereas spectacular landscapes enhance the potential for sustainable tourism development. “In times of the climate crisis and the vast extinction of species, it becomes a matter of survival to protect our last natural areas. The new biosphere reserve is an important step away from nature exploitation such as destructive hydropower dam or sediment extraction projects. It paves the way for a sustainable co-existence of people and nature,” says Mohl.

Additional projects for nature and people are already being implemented in the area with a combined funding of around 14 million Euros, and are co-financed by the European Union. For example, under the Coop MDD Project, the protected area administrations of the Mura-Drava-Danube Region have been cooperating since 2017 to jointly focus on common goals and trans-border nature protection measures. The Amazon of Europe Bike Trail Project was launched in June 2019. By 2021, sports and nature enthusiasts will be able to book cycling tours, including excursions to local natural and cultural sights, along with services such as luggage transport. Furthermore, river revitalisations will be implemented to create new natural habitats and recreational areas for people to truly experience the stunning landscape along the rivers.

The protected area was nominated with considerable help of WWF, EuroNatur, and many local conservation partners in all five countries. “For more than 20 years, WWF has invested a great deal to achieve better protection of the rivers’ natural values. We are very proud of the achievement of this joint nomination which will preserve the unique Mura-Drava-Danube Rivers for us and future generations,” concludes Mohl.

Alongside WWF, the ministries and nature protection authorities of Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and Serbia, as well as UNESCO’s MAB (Man and the Biosphere) committees, participated in the preparation of the UNESCO nomination dossier.

Source: WWF

Protecting Europe’s Land and Soil Resources Is Fundamental for a Sustainable Future

30.09.2019

farmland_agriculture_zemljište — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Land and soil underpin life on our planet. The way we currently use these vital and finite resources in Europe is not sustainable. Human activities — growing cities and infrastructure networks, intensive agriculture, pollutants and greenhouse gases released to the environment — transform Europe’s landscapes and exert increasing pressure on land and soil. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) Signals 2019, published today, looks at a series of issues linked to land and soil, including links to climate change, agriculture, soil biodiversity, contamination and governance, and stresses why we need to manage them sustainably.

The EEA Signals 2019 ‘Land and soil in Europe’ explains key pressures — such as urban sprawl, contamination, intensive use of agricultural land, landscape fragmentation — impacting Europe’s land and soil. Today, artificial surfaces (buildings, roads, urban facilities) cover less than 5 % of the wider EEA territory and continue to grow despite slowing down in recent years. Almost three quarters of Europeans live in urban areas and continued urban sprawl is often threatening productive land used for farming as well as forests and other areas home to wildlife and vital ecosystems.

The report underlines that we need to preserve and protect these key resources better. For example, the way we build and connect cities should prioritise ‘land recycling’, which consists of re-using and re-purposing existing urban areas such as old industrial sites and avoid new land to be covered by concrete and asphalt. Europe’s urban population is projected to grow by 30 million by 2050. Given these projections, compact cities with well-connected mobility options will need to play a key role to provide better quality of urban life with fewer impacts on the environment.

Similarly, pressure from economic activities, including agriculture, can adversely affect the health of land and soils. Plant protection products containing harmful chemicals can boost yields in the short-term but risk undermining soil productivity in the long-term. Europe’s agriculture sector relies on healthy soils, which can only be ensured through a comprehensive set of measures involving a combination of agricultural practices (e.g. precision farming, crop diversification, etc.), rural and agricultural communities (e.g. tackling land abandonment), as well as retailers and consumers (e.g. reducing food waste).

Healthy and resilient soil ecosystems are also essential to help mitigate and adapt to climate change. Europe’s soils and land store massive amounts of carbon. On the one hand, warmer temperatures can melt permafrost and release some of this carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change. On the other hand, a sustainable use of our soils can help keep this carbon stored in the ground. Natural areas or soils not covered by artificial surfaces or compacted by heavy machinery can help absorb excess rain in case of intense precipitation or act as a water storage in times of drought.

The report also addresses the need to protect land ecosystems better, and to ensure that natural areas, home to wildlife, are better connected to each other to enable species to move and migrate. This requires an extensive network of green infrastructure, connecting natural areas.

New tools, like the European Union’s Earth observation and monitoring programme, Copernicus, which is revolutionising the way we understand and plan for the more sustainable use of our valuable land and soil resources.

A healthy and sustainable use of our land and soil resources will help the Europe Union achieve many of its policy targets ranging from climate change mitigation to halting biodiversity loss, as well as Sustainable Development Goals.

The EEA Signals report is an annual, easy-to-read publication, consisting of a series of short articles, that looks at key issues related to the environment and climate. Recent EEA Signals reports have looked at water (2018) energy (2017), transport (2016), and climate change (2015).

Source: European Environmental Agency

Iberia and the World Tourism Organization Team Up for Sustainable Tourism

30.09.2019

aircraft_airplane_airline_iberia_avion — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, and the CEO of Iberia, Luis Gallego, have signed a cooperation agreement in favour of sustainable tourism, at the headquarters of the airline.

The two organizations share a commitment to enhancing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the tourism sector, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This agreement represents a starting point based on which the UNWTO and Iberia will develop and execute specific projects to forge a new leadership in the tourism sector resulting in new resources and actions aimed at achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda, especially Goal 13, to combat climate change.

The UNWTO Secretary-General said: “We are very happy to sign this agreement with Iberia, with whom we have been working for more than 10 years; together we can carry out projects for the sustainability of tourism worldwide.”

Luis Gallego stated: “At Iberia we have been working for many years on initiatives making us increasingly sustainable. From today going forward, we are committed to cooperating with the main global organization in the field of tourism to jointly strengthen the sustainability of the tourism sector.”

Environmental sustainability is a priority for Iberia, and to that end it is working on different initiatives both on the ground and in the air to make flying cleaner. These initiatives include, among others, the renewal of the fleet with more efficient aircraft, electric vehicles at airports, reduction of the use of plastics and recycling of on-board waste, digitalization of processes and renewable energy in its facilities.

Iberia is Spain’s number one airline and is the leader in routes between Europe and Latin America. Together with its subsidiary Iberia Express and its franchisee Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, it offers around 600 flights a day to fifty countries in Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, with a fleet of 145 aircraft. In 2017 Iberia received its 4th Skytrax star; in 2016 and 2017 it was the most punctual airline in the world and, in 2018, the third in Europe, according to FlightStats. Iberia has its hub at the Madrid airport, and is a member of the oneworld alliance, which offers more than 14,000 daily flights to nearly 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries.

Source: World Tourism Organization

More Than Half of Native European Trees Face Extinction, Warns Study

27.09.2019

nature_trees_forest_priroda_drveće_šuma — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

More than half of Europe’s endemic trees are threatened with extinction as invasive diseases, pests, pollution and urban development take a growing toll on the landscape, according to a study.

Ash, elm and rowan trees are among those in decline, says the assessment of the continent’s biodiversity, which could complicate efforts to tackle the climate crisis through reforestation.

“It is a threat. It is not just the naturally occurring trees and woodlands, it is also some of the big commercial conifers that are threatened by invasive species,” said one of the authors of the report, David Allen of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, who produced the study.

He warned that countries such as the UK were keen to import more saplings to draw carbon out of the atmosphere, but said young trees needed to be carefully screened to avoid diseases and pests entering the country and depleting existing forests.

“We are encouraged to plant more trees, quite rightly, but we have to be very careful to ensure they don’t come with pest species. We need to be very careful about biosecurity,” he said.

Invasive species – spread through the trade of plants or untreated timber – are the largest threat to native trees that are found only in Europe, sometimes only in one valley or region.

The IUCN’s European red list of trees found 58% of these endemic trees are threatened and 15% (66 species) were classified as critically endangered.

Many of those at greatest risk are in the Sorbus genus. This includes rowan, mountain ash and Ley’s whitebeam, of which there are only nine plants left – all in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Scientists say this particular tree is a relatively recent hybrid and there was only ever a very small population in a restricted geographical area, so the knock-on effects are likely to be minuscule.

Of greater concern is the demise of more common trees. Tim Rich, another of the contributors to the study, said he was alarmed by the loss of ash trees due to an invasive fungus.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on it over the past five years. Last year, I began to get quite worried. This year, huge areas are experiencing a dieback and it’s not just affecting saplings like it was before. Now it’s whole big trees. I drove in some parts of Pembrokeshire recently, and every five or 10 metres there was an ash tree dead or dying. This is a major problem – way worse than I expected it to be.”

The horse-chestnut – beloved by generations that played conkers as children – has been classified as vulnerable due to the spread of an invasive leaf-miner moth that damages its leaves. This adds to existing pressures from forest fires, tourist resort expansion and logging. Other species are negatively affected by excessive nitrogen depositions from air pollution, housing estates and pig farms.

The study of trees is part of a wider European red list that examines the status of overlooked species in order to determine priorities for conservation. It found 20-50% of terrestrial molluscs, shrubs and bryophytes, such as moss and liverworts, are threatened with extinction due to a loss of wild areas, expanded agriculture and climate change. Although these species are unglamorous and rarely attract attention, they play a vital role in food production and other natural life support systems through oxygen production, nutrient recycling and soil regeneration.

New IRENA Report Explores Potential of Green Hydrogen

27.09.2019

Bus_hydrogen — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Hydrogen from renewables can help tackle various critical energy challenges. It could particularly offer ways to decarbonise a range of sectors where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce CO2 emissions, a new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) on Hydrogen: a renewable energy perspective finds.

As world leaders gather in New York to discuss climate action solutions, IRENA contributed to building a community of stakeholders that look at the emerging solution of clean hydrogen. Led by the World Economy Forum (WEF), the initiative aims to explore the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and advance on the clean hydrogen agenda. At a side event hosted by WEF, IRENA presented key findings of its new report and emphasized the expected growing role of renewables-based hydrogen in the future energy mix. IRENA projects an 8% share of total global final energy consumption to be attributed to hydrogen by 2050.

Decarbonisation impacts depends on how hydrogen is produced. Current and future sourcing options can be divided into grey (fossil fuel-based), blue (fossil fuel-based production with carbon capture, utilisation and storage) and green (renewables-based) hydrogen. With massively falling cost of renewables, the potential of green hydrogen particularly for so called ‘hard-to-decarbonise’ sectors and energy-intensive industries like iron and steel, chemicals, shipping and aviation would become more compelling given the urgency to limit CO2 emissions. In that context, IRENA also supports the work of the “Getting to Zero 2030 Coalition” to achieve carbon emissions cuts in the global shipping sector by 2030.

However, deployment of hydrogen-based solutions will not happen overnight, IRENA’s new report cautions. Hydrogen might likely trail other strategies such as electrification of end-use sectors, and its use will target specific applications. The need for a dedicated new supply infrastructure may also limit hydrogen use to certain countries that decide to follow this strategy. While renewable energy and energy efficiency are immediately ready to be deployed at large-scale, hydrogen in combination with renewables could represent a complementary solution in the long run.

Download IRENA’s report Hydrogen: a renewable energy perspective.

Source: IRENA

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