European Environmental Bureau’s Post

Some good news as we head into the weekend. A new study published in Science shows that conservation slows biodiversity loss 🙌   💡A research team led by the conservation organisation Re:wild, the University of Oxford, the University of Kent and the IUCN, found that conservation efforts either improved biodiversity or at least slowed its decline in two-thirds of cases. Effective strategies include: ✅ Controlling invasive species ✅ Reducing habitat loss ✅ Restoring the environment ✅ Creating protected areas ✅ Promoting sustainable management 📣 This research not only provides strong evidence that conservation works, but it also underlines the need to step up efforts to meet global conservation targets and reverse biodiversity loss. https://lnkd.in/dHvrsSXi #restorenature #biodiversity #conservation #naturerestoration

Nature doesn't have a voice. But you do! 🗣️ Join us in June for "Wild Talks", a citizens deliberation on #nature and #biodiversity 🐝 Join other Europeans in designing the EU's greener future 🤝 Register now! 👇

📰 Ready for this week´s newsletter?     In this edition:   👉 Final European Parliament plenary until the elections 🗳️ 👉 Belgian farmer takes TotalEnergies to court ⚖️ 👉 The European Union is only meeting 1 out of 13 goals of the Chemical Sustainability Strategy 🧪   Subscribe now for this and much more! 💚

Ignoring science is not an option ⚖ 💪   In two landmark cases, the EU Court of Justice held that countries must: 🔬 use the most recent scientific knowledge before allowing pesticide products on the market, and 📊 must assess the pesticide product for endocrine-disrupting properties. Shout out to Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe for this big court win which will protect both people's health and the environment 👏 🙌 #pesticides #courtcase #endocrinedisruptors #pollution #humanhealth #environmentalhealth

🚨 European Parliament just adopted the Net-Zero industry Act 🤝 This EU law was introduced as a tool to support domestic manufacturing of targeted technologies and help the EU meet its 2030 climate targets and strategic autonomy goals. Despite representing a step forward to accelerate the development of key clean technologies, NZIA's lack of focus on proven and quick-to-deploy solutions jeopardizes its environmental and strategic autonomy objectives. This unstrategic approach should not represent the blueprint of the next political mandate: instead, clear priorities must be set to ensure that environmental protection and competitiveness go hand in hand and not one against the other. Would you like to know more about who protected and procrastinated on the environment in the EU Parliament? Check our EU Scoreboard to see who in the EU Parliament champions the #GreenDeal (and who acts like a dinosaur…) 👇 #votefutureEU https://lnkd.in/dveWczYT WWF European Policy Office Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 - 𝟮𝟭 𝗠𝗔𝗬 Where does our food come from? How do animals live? How do they die? How is any of this decided - and by whom? We're often sold an idea that in the EU there 'is no intensive farming', or that there is inherently a 'high level of animal welfare' ensured across the Union. We're also told that all decision-making follows high levels of transparency and open debate. IS. THAT. TRUE? We've hired a cinema in the heart of Brussels to host a screening of the groundbreaking, dramatic exposé 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩, a new film by Giulia Innocenzi and Pablo D'Ambrosi (https://lnkd.in/eAuxz9FV) 📽 With the use of secret cameras and some brilliant acting, journalists infiltrate not only a number of Europe's factory farms, but also - more importantly - the EU's decision-making body the European Parliament to see how some of our elected representatives feel about both the welfare of animals and the wishes of the vast majority of Europeans. Registration link to come soon - stay tuned! 📌 Cinema Galeries, Brussels 📅 21 May ⌚ 17:30 - 21:00 P.s. If you're not sure about who to vote for in the upcoming #EUelections2024, check out these new scoreboards to see your MEPs' voting records on climate, nature and pollution legislation over the last five years 👀 ➡ https://lnkd.in/dxyY76uH #FoodForProfit #AnimalWelfare #FactoryFarming #BigAgriLobby

In a little over a month, the EU has pushed through a major reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), without democratic debate, that goes against: ❌ long-standing scientific evidence  ❌ the needs of many farmers By catering only to the wishes of the agricultural industry, policymakers have unequivocally shown who they are supporting ahead of the EU elections, as many farmers made it clear that these changes will “neither support farmers in increasing their resilience nor do they address the real issues that farmers face” 👉 https://lnkd.in/eeH4Acnt    By reducing environmental safeguards in Europe’s €300 billion-plus farm subsidy system, the EU has chosen to ignore the latest scientific recommendations from the European Environment Agency, which recently urged European and national policymakers to act now to reduce climate risks – even pointing directly to the vital role of the CAP!  🤯 For further details see our press release 👉 https://lnkd.in/et9Gtnu3 -------- Don’t like what you see? Use your vote to change it! 🗳 💪 With the EU elections on the horizon, people across Europe have a critical opportunity to steer our continent towards a future where people prosper within the limits of our one planet, while keeping it healthy. Check out this EU Scoreboard to see which political parties champion the Green Deal and prioritise the wellbeing of both people and the planet 🌍 👉 https://lnkd.in/dxyY76uH #CommonAgriculturalPolicy #CAP #CAPreform #farming #foodandfarming #climatecrisis #biodiversity #votefutureEU #GreenDeal #EUelections

SUCCESS 👏 The EU Parliament has today voted in favour of cleaner air by adopting the provisional agreement on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD). 🗨️ “Today’s vote in the European Parliament is a step towards cleaner air, a step forward for all EU citizens and beyond. We thank all MEPs who have listened to science and to civil society.”, says Margherita Tolotto, Policy Manager Air and Noise, European Environmental Bureau.  🫁 While air pollution has been reduced over the last decade, current levels remain too high. The revised AAQD will play a fundamental role in filling in the gaps that have been identified during the years of implementation of the existing directives and to make the instrument aligned with what science says. 👉 https://lnkd.in/ek22pgYq

🌱 Ensuring a just future for coming generations demands action to protect our planet's resources. 🤝 Join us on Monday, May 6th, for an interactive workshop where we'll do just that. 🔎 We’ll evaluate current policies and brainstorm demand-side solutions in engaging breakout rooms, using collaborative tools to generate actionable ideas. Workshop Objectives: 1️⃣ Evaluate how our current critical raw materials management aligns with decarbonisation and sustainability goals. 2️⃣ Explore the impact of current policies on intergenerational equity. 3️⃣ Explore ways to adjust our approach to ensure benefits for all, now and in the future. 🔗 Register now: https://bit.ly/3Jeka5h European Youth Forum Generation Climate Europe (GCE) ReGeneration 2030 Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP

Europe's water is in crisis. Newsflash: this is no longer news... 🚨 💧   Water is our most precious shared resource, and people (voters 👀) across the EU care increasingly about its state. Data shows this 🔍   From scarcity to pollution, our water sits at the centre of a number of growing crises threatening environment, human health, and society.   In October 2022, the European Commission proposed new pollution thresholds for surface and groundwater. If adopted, Member States would need to monitor these substances and to make sure that the legal thresholds are not surpassed.   While the European Parliament adopted its position in September last year, supporting the Commission’s proposal to regulate more pollutants, the EU Council is still deliberating their position. Meanwhile:   🚱 in Spain, 200,000 people can't access water from the tap due to hazardous levels of nitrate pollution caused by excessive agricultural inputs;   📈 in Uppsala, Sweden, regular people are being subjected to 30% spikes in their water bills to clean up PFAS pollution caused by big industry;   ⚠ in the Netherlands, authorities advise parents to make sure their kids do not swallow sea foam as it can contain harmful levels of PFAS.   None of this is okay, and people do not accept it as normal. Action on addressing water pollution across Europe remains inadequate, and EU governments have a responsibility to act.   Tomorrow, an important meeting will take place, where EU Member State representatives will discuss the Commission’s proposal. We urge them to adopt the proposed new standards without delay!   Swipe along for four good reasons why EU governments must act on pollution! ➡➡   #WaterPollution #NitratePollution #DrinkingWater #PolluterPays #PolluterPaysPrinciple #WaterWiseEU EU Environment and Climate | Khattabi Zakia | Alain Maron | Mark Harbers | Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2024 | Vivianne Heijnen