15th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development 

 

European Union

Priority Issues for CSD 15 

As a contribution to the discussion at CSD 15 this document presents the views and priorities of the European Community and its 27 Member States:  

Austria

Belgium

Bulgaria

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Netherlands

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom 

 

 

EU Priorities for CSD 15

 

There is a growing recognition of the strong interlinkages between industrial development, energy, climate change and air pollution, which calls for an integrated approach in tackling the challenges we are facing. These issues are at the heart of ensuring long-term sustainable development, in particular for fostering progress in poverty eradication, for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as the goals and commitments agreed upon 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). CSD 15 offers a unique opportunity to achieve a strong, action-oriented outcome and to ensure effective monitoring of implementation.

 

Energy for Sustainable Development

A viable future for humankind requires an enhanced effort to secure a sustainable supply of energy as a means to meet basic human needs for all people. Access to reliable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services is crucial, particularly in developing countries.  Every effort must be made to achieve global energy security through the increased reliance on renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy saving measures, supported by effective policies and increased capacity building, technology transfer and financing.

The EU underlines its internal commitment to a binding target of a 20% share of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020 and to a 10% binding minimum target to be achieved by all member states for the share of biofuels in overall EU transport petrol and diesel consumption by 2020, to be introduced in an environmentally sustainable and cost-efficient way. The EU is also committed to improve by 2020 its energy efficiency by 20 %. The EU invites others to follow this example.

The EU believes that the outcome of CSD 15 should include the following elements:

General elements

·         Adopt time-bound targets at the national and regional levels and commitments to increase energy efficiency and the share of renewable energies as well as access to energy and integrate such sustainable energy policies in national sustainable development strategies, poverty reduction strategies or other planning frameworks by 2010;

·         Encourage donors to set targets and increase their contribution to the goal of the WSSD on improving access to reliable, affordable and environmentally sound energy services to facilitate the achievement of  the MDGs;

·         Endorse a clear and effective review arrangement for energy for sustainable development, which is an issue that has no institutional ‘home’ within the UN-system. This review arrangement would provide a long-term perspective, should be based on existing data to better identify best practices and success factors, analyse gaps and barriers as well as encourage prompt action. It would, among other things, allow bi- and multilateral donors to further focus their support and increase investment and funding opportunities for public and private investors;

·         Devote time to review and follow-up on energy for sustainable development at its sessions in 2010/11 and 2014/15;

·         Establish as a non-negotiated outcome of CSD 15 an action-oriented compilation of national and regional goals and commitments, to which each government can submit its objectives on access to energy services, energy efficiency and renewable energies. Other actors may wish to make similar commitments, which could include time-bound targets, policy actions and initiatives. Such a compilation, based on a unified and simple format, would provide a result-oriented approach, serve as a source of inspiration for governments and help identify the areas which are in need of support by the donor community.

Improve access to energy to meet basic human needs

·         Increase access to reliable, affordable and environmentally sound energy supplies and services to meet basic human needs and to support economic development;

·         Support efforts to improve the sustainable supply and use of upgrade traditional biomass fuels given the dependence on these fuels by low income populations, especially in developing countries;

·         Improve access to clean household cooking and heating fuels to reduce the pressure on biomass fuel supplies and improve energy efficiency and mitigate the related health problems;

·         Create stable and well-functioning energy markets through the establishment of regional energy cooperation, networks and grids interconnections. Diversify the energy mix in favour of renewable energies through removal of regulatory, economic and technical barriers;

·         Increase security in energy supply by attracting public and private investment through, inter alia, advancing good governance and long-term frameworks for   equitable and stable  energy markets;

·         Strengthen synergies between existing and new financial instruments for access to energy and transformation of energy markets, such as the Global Environment Facility, the World Bank Investment Framework, Official Development Assistance (ODA), business and industry as well as the future One UN country programmes.

Enhance energy security through renewable energy and energy efficiency

·         Significantly increase the use of renewable energies and improve energy efficiency and energy saving by adopting relevant policies and frameworks, ensuring capacity- building, technology transfer and adequate financing while promoting commercialisation of proven technologies that are not fully deployed as well as making full use of the Clean Development Mechanism;

·         Improve energy efficiency and energy saving in energy production, transformation, transportation and end-use, where progress can be obtained, by fully applying and improving technologies that are already in place and by promoting the development of new efficient technologies;

·         Support a robust energy system at national and regional levels through maintenance and improvement of pipeline and transmission infrastructure and enhance the physical security of the critical energy infrastructure, including energy production, transport and distribution facilities;

·         Diversify energy transportation routes and energy sources in order to reduce energy losses and vulnerability to disruption of energy supply. Encourage the development of decentralised energy generation systems;

·         Initiate a process for an International Agreement on Energy-efficiency. The Agreement could cover regulatory cooperation, financing and research, education and training, energy auditing and start with mutual information on ongoing work on standard setting for energy using appliances and promoting the use of common measurement methods where appropriate.

·         Strengthen international partnerships and networks such as the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st  century (REN 21), the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) and the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) to further promote and share experiences about the development and take up of renewable and alternative energy sources, energy saving and energy efficiency.

·         Strengthen initiatives like the Global Bio-energy Partnership (GBEP) in order to create and nurture a global policy dialogue on bio-energy and favour more efficient and sustainable production and uses of biomass.

Reduce negative environmental and social impacts of energy use

·         Support the development, transfer and deployment of technologies in order to fully utilize the energy potential of by-products, residues and waste and, at the same time, reduce waste management problems;

·         Ensure that bio-energy, including bio-fuels, is produced and used sustainably by defining and applying standards and safeguards in order to, inter alia, avoid competition between food and biomass production;

·         Increase the share of non- and less greenhouse gas-emitting energy technologies to achieve decoupling of economic growth from increased emissions and other environmental impacts.

 

Industrial Development

Industrial development can be an engine for achieving the MDGs if it builds up on the principles of sustainability and good governance. Making production processes sustainable by integrating the economic, environmental and social dimension is a key challenge world-wide and creating employment and improving resource efficiency is essential. In that regard, the role of business and industry should be acknowledged.

Increasing resource productivity, enhancing technological innovation and decoupling economic growth from resource use, offer opportunities for cost reduction, increased competitiveness and employment creation.

The EU believes that the outcome of CSD 15 should include the following elements:

 

Promote resource efficiency and sustainable production and consumption

·         Encourage countries and businesses to assess the potential for increasing resource efficiency in various applications;

·         Develop and implement policies for resource and energy efficient production as well as integrated product policies;

·         Intensify research on and adaptation of resource efficient technologies, technological innovation and cooperation, taking particularly into account the needs of developing countries;

·         Pursue progress in the field of sustainable production and consumption patterns through full commitment to the Marrakech process and its task forces;

·         Support dialogue between business and other key stakeholders – including trade unions, non-governmental organisations and political leaders – in order to develop ambitious business and consumer responses for sustainable consumption and production, which have the potential to go beyond existing minimum legal requirements;

·         Encourage business and industry to elaborate and implement innovative management instruments, e.g. environmental management systems, life cycle analysis, eco-design and corporate social responsibility;

·         Promote international eco- and social labelling, including harmonized eco-labelling criteria in the Global Ecolabelling Network, labelling schemes for the energy consumption and recycling capabilities for products with relatively high environmental impact.

Framework conditions for sustainable industrial development

·         Strengthen business capacity, in particular SMEs, to address unsustainable industrial practices and to implement supportive management instruments. This includes better access to loan and credit programmes, strengthening industry support institutions, such as cleaner production or energy efficiency centres (e.g. theUNIDO/UNEP cleaner production centres), as well as strengthening universities and other higher education institutions;

·         Work towards further integration of developing countries in international trade and improve conditions for and promote greater flows of trade and investment, i.e. in expanding market access, removing non-tariff barriers and promoting economic and social development;

·         Encourage investment  in new and more efficient production facilities and products and the adoption and use of cleaner technologies, as well as stimulating demand, in order to overcome market barriers;

·         Promote upfront Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) to be applied to national and regional plans and programmes as well as in development cooperation in order to prevent potentially negative impacts of investments;

·         Promote corporate social and environmental responsibility and accountability and support initiatives as the Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational enterprises or the Global Reporting Initiative on a regional and global level. ILO core labour standards should be enforced.

 

Air Pollution/Atmosphere

Air pollution has serious adverse effects on human health and the environment as well as negative impacts on social welfare and the economy. Therefore an integrated approach should be chosen to tackle air pollution and its environmental, economic and social consequences. Its mitigation should be better integrated into national and sectoral plans. Complementary actions at all levels are critical to success.

In developing countries, the use of traditional fuels results in massive indoor air pollution which impacts on health.  Women and young children are most vulnerable and also tend to be the most marginalised in terms of decision-making.

The consequence of population increase and economic growth in many countries is a rise in urbanization, transportation and international trade. This leads to an increase in primary emission sources which puts pressure on the environment. To diminish this burden it is imperative to take technical and non-technical measures at all levels to reduce air pollution.

The EU believes that the outcome of CSD 15 should include the following elements:

 

Integrated approach to air and atmospheric pollution

·         Promote the international governance of air and atmospheric pollution and improve synergies and ways of cooperation among relevant international and regional actors and instruments, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (UNECE CLRTAP) and other relevant multilateral environmental agreements;

·         Recommend the use of preventive measures and worldwide extended application of the integrated approach to air pollution on the basis of the experiences gained under UNECE CLRTAP;

·         Promote the use of WHO guidelines in setting national air quality standards for the protection of human health, and further control mechanisms aimed at steering measures in the reduction of the population exposure to air pollutants;

·         Build capacity in data collection and management and improve the data base (information on emissions, depositions, ambient air concentrations, impacts) for modelling and measures and foster exchange of information on available techniques, i.e. Best Available Techniques including BREFs (Best Available Techniques Reference Documents);

·         Make progress in combating illegal trade in ozone depleting substances.

High and increasing transport and vehicle emissions

·         Establish emission limit values  for the different mobile and stationary sources;

·         Improve international cooperation to agree policies and measures to tackle air pollution from aviation and maritime transport in the framework of relevant international organisation, such as the International Maritime Organization(IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO);

·         Promote the phase-out of leaded fuels, the improvement of fuels and vehicle efficiency and the use of technologies that reduce vehicle emissions. Define and implement a specific legislation that requires public and private transport vehicles to change to cleaner fuels;

·         Introduce vehicle maintenance inspection programmes to ensure that vehicles meet the required emission standards;

·         Improve the quality of fuels, cleaner energy generation technologies and abatement technologies taking into consideration the need for their affordability.

Indoor air pollution as a major health concern

·         Implement instruments and incentives for switching from solid fuels to cleaner cooking fuels such as liquid petroleum gas, biogas or electricity and raise awareness on the negative health impacts of indoor air pollution, in particular on women and children;

·         Review national energy policies in developing countries and development cooperation strategies in industrialised countries to identify and address health risks from cooking and heating;

·         Implement policy instruments for effective household energy programmes - such as financial aid, information campaigns - taking good indoor air and its health impacts into account and disseminate energy efficient stoves and kitchen ventilation devices.

Urban air pollution

·         Develop national long-term strategies for sustainable urban planning including interconnections between sustainable urban transport system, industrial plants localization and waste disposal mechanisms;

·         Improve urban and transport planning based on SEAs taking into account air pollution aspects and socio economic aspects;

·         Promote actions for developing efficient and safe infrastructures for mobility, including non motorized urban transport, (i.e. through the use of incentives, education and information), integrate transport networks in the framework of the urban and territorial planning and introduce traffic management policies that reduce congestion and exposure to related pollution, e.g. by environmentally sound modes of transportation.

 

Climate Change

The EU notes that climate change is an environmental problem and a development challenge that needs to be addressed in order to ensure the achievement of the MDGs. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol are the main instruments to address climate change. There is an urgent need for a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement.  Such an agreement must be reached in time to prevent a gap between the first and second commitment periods under the Kyoto Protocol and that to this end negotiations on a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement need to be launched at the COP 13-COP/MOP 3 at the end of 2007 and completed by 2009. To this aim the CSD should send a clear political indication in support of this process.

The EU underlines its willingness to commit to a reduction of 30% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 as its contribution to a global and comprehensive agreement for the period beyond 2012, provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions and economically more advanced developing countries adequately contribute according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities. The EU has decided that until a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement is concluded to make a firm independent commitment to achieve at least a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990.

The work on climate change under the CSD should complement the work under the UNFCCC and provide momentum into efforts to address climate change at all levels:

·         Integrate policies addressing climate change within national and international development policy and planning, including mitigation and adaptation measures;

·         Integrate climate change risks within PRS and/or national strategies for sustainable development to address both adaptation and mitigation issues. Adaptation strategies should seek to manage existing climate change risks and support countries’ efforts to build resilience to longer-term climate change impacts;

·         Develop long-term predictable policy frameworks at the national level to enable a shift towards a low carbon emission society. Developing countries should be assisted in such efforts;

·         Recognize the very important role of forests, sustainable forest management and soil protection in sinks of carbon dioxide and climate change mitigation;

·         Coordinate and enhance dialogue between the Kyoto Protocol and Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances that are also greenhouse gases;

·        Encourage initiatives focused on improving the relevance and usability of information on impacts of climate variability and climate change for use by development practitioners;

·        Expedite the work on the adaptation fund to enter into the operational phase as soon as possible.

 

Cross-cutting Issues and interlinkages

Progress in each thematic area requires an integrated approach taking into account the interlinkages and crosscutting issues. To achieve this we need to mainstream thematic cluster issues into national sustainable development strategies, PRS and national development plans. Environment and poverty linkages have to be integrated in plans, programmes and processes.

The EU believes that the outcome of CSD 15 should include the following elements:

 

Improve investment and financial resources for sustainable development

·         Improve levels of investment and access to finance in utilising and further developing innovative economic instruments (such as CDM, Environmental Fiscal Reform, funds, payments for ecosystem services, Access and Benefit Sharing and certification) as well as to mobilise additional private and public funding;

·         Improve understanding of the negative impacts of inappropriate use of incentives, eliminate harmful subsidies and develop the use of market instruments to encourage clean investment;

·         Encourage the assessment of real versus perceived costs of policy options by applying SEA to plans and programs where practicable.

Achieving good governance

·         Create “enabling environments” for investment, private international financial flows, public-private partnerships, and effective use of ODA;

·         Enhance networks and adopt a bottom-up approach to improve cooperation on the development of action-oriented measures to overcome regional specific sustainable development challenges.

Building human, institution, and infrastructure capacity

·         Build the capacity of environment and other relevant departments to better influence national decision making, and improve coordination between government departments to ensure policy coherence;

·         Build the administrative capacity of authorities on all levels to enforce national legislation and ensure compliance;

·         Strive for an improved understanding of the linkages between social, economic and environmental aspects of lifestyles and individual behaviour in introducing education for sustainable development into formal curricula and ensuring life-long learning through formal, informal and non formal education establishments, NGOs and the workplace, taking into account the Framework of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development;

·         Achieve primary education for all by 2015.

Improve access to affordable environmentally sound technologies

·         Improve research and development in new technologies, including by improving investment in research and development and bridging the gap between research and development and deployment;

·         Develop mechanisms for leveraging of private sector funds, including those from local investors and financial institutions;

·         Create partnerships with regional banks to promote the application of low-carbon, energy efficient technologies, i.e. by making full use of the Clean Development Mechanism;

·         Promote the internalisation of external costs through the enforcement of economic instruments with the consideration that the polluter will bear the expenses for the pollutants and also consider / highlight the cost of in-action.

Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production

·         Emphasize that all countries should develop strategies and measures for SCP which includes decision on coherent policies, regulation, other instruments and tools including information and also investments in infrastructure and business development;

·         Drive and actively contribute to the Marrakech Process, e.g. the development of a 10-year framework of programmes on SCP, and in this express a support for the process;

·         Emphasize the importance of sustainable consumption – above all the developed countries affluent consumption of goods and services, energy and other natural resources, but also the need to counteract the development of unsustainable consumption patterns in countries in transition.

Improve gender equality in business and remove all forms of discrimination on grounds of gender

·         Promote women’s equal access to and full participation in decision making and mainstream gender perspectives in all policies and strategies;

·         Promote women in business and industrial development including through the use of micro-credit, education and capacity building.

 

EU Best Practices

 

The following chapters present some key EU policies and tools in the field of the CSD 15 themes. The list is not exhaustive.  In addition to joint EU level activities, the individual EU Member States have successfully implemented policies and measures, launched a significant number of relevant initiatives, and are supporting access to energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency through a broad array of financial and technical cooperation measures with bilateral and multilateral partners. A selection of these initiatives will be presented by the Member States at CSD 15.

 

Energy for sustainable development

The EU actively promotes sustainable energy both in its internal and external policies. The EU believes that with a combination of targets, policies, fiscal incentives and market mechanisms to promote sustainable energy, substantial and sound economic and environmental results can be delivered.

 

In March 2007, the Heads of State and Government committed themselves to an Action Plan for Energy Policy for Europe with a series of targets and measures to combat climate changes and boost the EU's energy security and competitiveness in an integrated way. This energy and climate package is based on three main elements: building a true internal energy market, making a shift to low carbon energy, and promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy.  A set of ambitious targets have been set, and EU Member States are successfully implementing various policy instruments. On climate change, the EU is committed to reducing greenhouse gases by at least 20% by 2020, to be extended to 30% if other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emissions reductions. On renewable energies, an overall binding target of 20% by 2020 was adopted, with a minimum of 10% for the share of biofuels in overall EU transport petrol and diesel consumption. The development and take-up of new technologies will be accelerated to achieve these goals. In addition, the EU's Energy Efficiency Action Plan of 2006 introduced a target on energy efficiency, stating that 20% of total primary energy consumption must be saved by 2020. The action plan includes measures such as accelerated use of fuel efficient vehicles, tougher standards and better labelling for appliances, improved energy performance of existing buildings, and improved efficiency of heat and electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

 

Energy is also an increasingly important priority in the EU's external policies. The EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI) stresses the critical role of energy for achieving the MDGs. The EUEI is implemented through dialogue and partnerships with developing countries to help them achieve their sustainable development objectives, in particular by maximising energy efficiency in the use of fossil fuels and traditional biomass and increasing the use of renewable energy. Regional and global issues such as energy security and climate change are also included in the dialogue. The EUEI Partnership Dialogue Facility supports development of policies and strategies on energy and poverty, with initial focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.  Due to the EUEI, energy has become a focal area in EU development policy, and a number of new financial instruments have been created. The European Council in March 2007 endorsed a comprehensive Energy Action Plan for the period between 2007-2009, which includes establishing a special dialogue on energy with African countries, aiming at the creation of an Africa-Europe energy partnership.  

The Energy Facility will co-finance investments to increase access to sustainable energy services for rural areas in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). A call for proposals for €220 million was launched in 2006. Out of 300 project proposals, 169 were accepted for evaluation. The evaluation will be finalised by the end of May 2007, and the first projects will begin later in 2007. Furthermore, the EU's COOPENER programme supports capacity building on energy efficiency and renewable energy in around 50 developing countries, with € 40.4 million foreseen for 2007-2010. The € 4 million EUEI Partnership and Dialogue Facility (EUEI-PDF) supports policy analysis and dialogue in over ten African countries and regions.   In addition, , the energy component of the Africa-Europe Infrastructure Partnership and the Infrastructure Trust Fund for Africa contribute to Africa's energy security and sustainable development, focusing on regional interconnections and trade. The Commission and the European Investment Bank provide an initial €320 million for the fund. From 2008 significant funding will also l come from the EU Member States.

 

The Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition (JREC) promotes renewable energy through a co-operative effort on the basis of national and regional targets and timetables. With over 90 member countries today, JREC has been a high-level platform complementing and strengthening existing multilateral agreements, public and private partnerships and initiatives on renewable energy. To support the JREC objectives, the European Commission proposed in October 2006 a global risk capital fund to mobilise private investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in developing countries and economies in transition. The Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF) will accelerate the transfer, development and deployment of environmentally sound technologies by providing new risk-sharing and co-financing options to mobilise international and domestic commercial investments. It will invest in a broad mix of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, contributing also to combating climate change and air pollution. The Commission will kick-start the fund with a contribution of up to €80 million over the next four years, and several EU Member States have already pledged to support it.

 

Under its 7th Research & Development Framework Programme (2007-2013) the EU will be spending €2.3 billion on sustainable energy research (Energy efficiency, renewable energies, clean coal technologies, hydrogen and fuel cells, CO2 capture and storage etc). Under the same programme €1.8 billion will be spent on Environment and Climate Change research with emphasis on sustainable management of resources, environmental technologies as well as earth observation and assessment tools.

 

Energy efficiency, energy saving, renewable energies and access to energy are also priority issues for bilateral cooperation. As part of the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue, a Technology Centre was set up in Moscow, to serve as contact point for Russian and European companies active in the fields of hydrocarbons, coal and electricity as well as renewable energy and energy efficiency. The EU-China Energy and Environment Programme strengthens cooperation on energy and promotes sustainable energy use by securing supply at improved economic, social and environmental conditions. The objective of the EU-China Partnership on Climate Change is the development and demonstration of advanced, “zero emissions” coal technology based on carbon dioxide capture and geological storage. It will also promote other clean energy sources, as well as energy efficiency, energy conservation, and renewable energy. The EU-India Energy Panel coordinates joint activities, including in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energies and development of affordable and clean energy technologies.

 

The EU Member States and the Commission are also leading and participating in several energy partnerships and networks, such as REN21, REEEP, GVEP, the Mediterranean Renewable Energy Programme (MEDREP), the Energy and Environment Partnership with Central America (EEP), GBEP and the Global Energy Efficiency Initiative.

 

 

Climate change

The EU has been in the vanguard of international action on climate change and is committed to taking decisive measures to control it. In March 2007, as part of the EU's energy and climate package, the EU stated that it is committed to reducing greenhouse gases by at least 20% by 2020, to be extended to 30% if other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emissions reductions.

 

The European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), launched in 2000, consists of cost-effective measures to help the EU meet its Kyoto emissions reduction target. These include the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, legislation to promote renewable energy sources for electricity production and bio-fuels in road transport, as well as legislation to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, to promote combined heat and power generation and to control the powerful fluorinated gases. In its second phase, the ECCP aims to identify further cost-effective measures to reduce emissions post-2012, with focus i.a. on carbon capture and geological storage, emissions from road vehicles, aviation and strategies to adapt to the unavoidable effects of climate change.

 

The EU's Greenhouse Gas Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the first international trading system for CO2 emissions in the world. It covers over 11.500 energy-intensive installations across the EU, representing almost half of Europe’s C02 emissions. These include combustion plants, oil refineries, iron and steel plants, and factories making cement, glass, lime, brick, ceramics, pulp and paper. The EU ETS enables energy-intensive industry and power generators to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions cost effectively, and is stimulating emission-saving projects around the world. A revision of the ETS is being carried out in the light of experience gained, and the Commission has made proposals for expanding it to new sectors (such as aviation) and gases and for promoting its global application.

 

The EU Action Plan on Climate Change and Development was adopted in 2004. The Action Plan seeks to help strengthen developing countries’ capacities to cope with both mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. One of its strategic objectives is to raise the policy profile of climate change by putting climate change on the agenda of high-level meetings between the EU and developing countries or country groupings with which it has cooperation agreements. A mid-term progress report is due in May 2007. 

 

Further information:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/home_en.htm

 

Air pollution

The EU has been working since the 1970s on improving air quality by controlling emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, by improving fuel quality, and by integrating environmental protection requirements into the transport and energy sectors and into urban planning. In addition to EU-wide legislation, the EU has been actively promoting international and regional cooperation, in particular on cross-border pollution and depletion of the ozone layer. Involvement of key sectors and local, national and regional authorities and NGOs are a crucial element of the EU approach. The EU has also actively invested in research on these issues, including on impacts of air pollution to human health.

 

The EU's Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (2005) provides the framework for the European air quality policy. With the strategy, the EU aims to cut by 2020 the annual number of premature deaths from air pollution-related diseases by 40% compared to the 2000 level. Another key goal is to substantially reduce the area of forests and other ecosystems suffering damage from airborne pollutants. Special focus in the strategy is on fine dust (particulates) and ground-level ozone pollution, as these pose the greatest threat to human health.

 

Further information:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/cafe/index.html

 

Industrial development

The EU's regulatory framework to prevent pollution of air and water created in the 1970s has been an early contribution to promoting environmentally sustainable industrial development. Since then, several policies and tools have been developed to promote sustainable consumption and production (SCP). As a response to the WSSD commitments on SCP, the EU is currently developing an Action Plan on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with the aim of improving synergies and strengthening implementation of existing policies and introducing new tools to address gaps in the current policy framework.

 

Key policies on SCP include the Integrated product policy (IPP), which requires that all phases of a product’s lifecycle are considered in an integrated way. IPP provides a 'toolbox' of economic instruments, voluntary agreements, information tools such as eco-labelling, and product design guidelines. Work is focused on three key product areas: food, cars, housing. The Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) promotes environmental technologies and eco-innovation, aiming at getting new technology into the markets, improving market conditions and promoting responsible investment globally. Green Public Procurement (GPP) is another key tool to promote SCP. It can have huge benefits for the environment, as 16% of the EU wide gross domestic product is spent in public purchasing. A handbook on GPP was published in all EU languages in 2005, with concrete advice on how to integrate environmental considerations into purchasing policies.

 

The European Eco-Label is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment and for consumers to easily identify them. It covers a wide variety of products as well as services, from paper products or dishwasher detergents to tourist destinations. The EU's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is another voluntary instrument which acknowledges organisations that improve their environmental performance. There are currently ca. 5000 sites registered in EMAS in Europe, mainly in the industrial sector, but also public authorities and service sector.

Sustainable industrial development has to be underpinned by an active involvement of workers and social partners, including at workplace level. At the EU level, such social dialogue is well established and has been strengthened over the years. The EU also actively promotes core labour standards and social governance globally. 

 

Further information:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/industry/index_en.htm

 

Cross cutting issues and interlinkages

In June 2006 the EU adopted an ambitious and comprehensive revision of its Sustainable Development Strategy. It sets out a single, coherent strategy on how the EU will more effectively live up to its long-standing commitment to meet the challenges of sustainable development. It reaffirms the need for global solidarity and recognises the importance of working with partners outside the EU, including those rapidly developing countries which will have a significant impact on global sustainable development. Progress in implementation of the strategy is assessed annually. There are also peer reviews conducted in Member States. Climate change, clean energy, sustainable transport, sustainable consumption and production and fighting global poverty are priorities of the EU SDS that contribute directly to CSD14/15 cycle.

 

Further information:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/

Internet links  

·         http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/wssd/csd_14_en.html  

·         http://www.ren21.net

·         http://www.reeep.org

·         http://www.gfse.at

·         http://gvep.org  

·         http://www.klimaaktiv.at

·         www.duurzameontwikkeling.be

·         www.developpementdurable.be

·          www.moew.government.bg 

·         http://www.ceacr.cz

·         www.bmu.de

·         www.bmz.de

·         http://www.ens.dk

·         http://www.envir.ee//166310

·         http://www.environment.fi

·         http://www.climate.noa.gr

·          www.cres.gr

·         www.minambiente.it

·         http://www.ael.lu/cms/front_content.php

·         http://www.swentec.se/

·         http://www.nutek.se/sb/d/131/a/444