Meklēt
Climate impact of the EU agrifood system
Agrifood systems encompass the production and distribution of food and non-food products of agricultural origin. Unlike others, this sector has not seen a significant reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in recent decades. While some of the sector's emissions are hard to abate, for others there may be off-the-shelf options. Certain EU policies and instruments could also help reduce the agrifood system's GHG emissions.
Climate change [What Think Tanks are thinking]
Last year’s UN Climate Change Conference, COP27, made some headway in efforts to fight climate change, but its overall progress was limited. The gathering agreed to create a loss-and-damage fund, to support poorer countries disproportionately affected by climate change while only being responsible for a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Governments at COP27 also called for reform of the International Monetary Fund and the multilateral development banks, to align global public finance ...
EU secure connectivity programme 2023-2027: Building a multi-orbital satellite constellation
Satellite communication is a strategic asset for governments and civil society alike. Complementary to terrestrial networks, it can contribute to seamless digital communication, even when such networks are absent or disrupted. Today, the EU does not have a dedicated infrastructure (including space and ground segments) to offer satellite communication services to governments, the economy or civil society. Several EU global partners and competitors are investing in parallel in such capabilities. On ...
A Union certification framework for carbon removals
On 30 November 2022, as part of the European Green Deal, the Commission presented the legislative proposal for a Union certification framework for carbon removals. The initiative was first announced in the March 2020 new circular economy action plan and again highlighted in the climate target plan, as well as in the proposed 'fit for 55' revision of the regulation on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), as an essential tool to drive progress towards the 2050 climate neutrality target. ...
Revision of the LULUCF Regulation: Strengthening the role of the land use, land-use change and forestry sector in climate action
To align regulations and policies with the legally binding goals – delivering, by 2030, a 55 % net greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to 1990, and reaching climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 – on 14 July the European Commission presented its first proposals under the 'fit for 55' package. One of these proposals involves amending Regulation (EU) 2018/841 on emissions and removals from land use, land-use change and forestry (the LULUCF Regulation). Among the main changes envisaged are to ...
EU-US climate and energy relations in light of the Inflation Reduction Act
The war in Ukraine has put Europe's dependence on energy imports under the spotlight. The United States (US) has stepped in and pledged to increase its exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Europe. While this helps address the shortfall in energy imports from Russia in the short term, it raises the question as to how far the EU wants to build an energy partnership with the US. Closely intertwined with the energy challenge is the fight against climate change. With the European Union (EU) committing ...
Strengthening EU rules on waste shipments
During its January I plenary session, Parliament will vote on the report adopted by its Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on a Commission proposal to revise EU rules on shipments of waste. The report as voted would then form Parliament's position for trilogue negotiations with the Council.
Revision of the EU's Waste Shipment Regulation
On 17 November 2021, the European Commission tabled a proposal to revise EU rules on shipments of waste. The proposed regulation aims at easing shipments of waste for reuse and recycling in the EU, to support the transition to a circular economy; ensuring that waste exported from the EU is managed in an environmentally sound manner in the destination countries; and stepping up enforcement to counteract illegal shipments of waste. While supporting the proposed streamlining and digitalisation of procedures ...
Ten issues to watch in 2023
This is the seventh edition of an annual EPRS publication aimed at identifying and framing some of the key issues and policy areas that have the potential to feature prominently in public debate and on the political agenda of the European Union over the coming year. The topics analysed encompass the 2024 European elections, budgeting in times of crises and war, lessons for public investment in the EU from the EU recovery instrument, the fiscal and monetary policy mix, climate and socio-economic tipping ...
Achieving the UN Agenda 2030: Overall actions for the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals before and after the 2030 deadline
The European Union (EU) has a strong leadership role, globally and regionally, in implementing the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development but as a matter of urgency its ambitions now need to be translated into strategies and actions. Major global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and climate change, have all effectively reversed progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and further exacerbated interrelated challenges relating to poverty, inequality, carbon ...