The European Commission has adopted a strategy to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources. With the world population approaching 9 billion by 2050 and natural resources finite, Europe needs renewable biological resources for secure and healthy food and feed, as well as for materials, energy, and other products.

The Commission’s strategy and action plan, ‘Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe’, outlines a coherent, cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach to the issue. The goal is a more innovative and low-emissions economy, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable biological resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring biodiversity and environmental protection. The plan focuses on three key aspects – developing new technologies and processes for the bioeconomy; developing markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors; and pushing policymakers and stakeholders to work more closely together.

“Europe needs to make the transition to a post-petroleum economy. Greater use of renewable resources is no longer just an option, it is a necessity. We must drive the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based society with research and innovation as the motor,” says Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.

The term ‘Bioeconomy’ means an economy using biological resources from the land and sea, as well as waste, as inputs to food and feed, industrial and energy production. It also covers the use of bio-based processes for sustainable industries. Bio-waste for example has considerable potential as an alternative to chemical fertilizers or for conversion into bio-energy, and can meet 2% of the EU renewable energy target.

The EU bioeconomy already has a turnover of nearly Eur2 trillion and employs more than 22 million people, 9% of total employment in the EU. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and pulp and paper production, as well as parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries. Each euro invested in EU-funded bioeconomy research and innovation is estimated to trigger Eur10 of value added in bioeconomy sectors by 2025.

The strategy seeks synergies with other policy areas, instruments and funding sources which share and address the same objectives, such as the Cohesion Funds, the Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies (CAP and CFP), the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP), environmental, industrial, employment, energy and health policies. With Research and Innovation at the heart of the strategy, it will first be presented to EU Member States at the Competitiveness Council on 21 February 2012.

EU Member States including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands already have Bioeconomy Strategies in place. On the international stage, Canada, China, South Africa and the US either have or are planning their own ambitious strategies.

The Government has published Warmer Homes: A Strategy for Affordable Energy in Ireland, which sets out a vision for improving the affordability of energy for low-income households; ensuring that people can live in a warm and comfortable home that enhances the quality of their lives and supports good physical and mental health.

The strategy was developed by the inter-Departmental Group on Affordable Energy and includes 48 actions that will be implemented over the life of the strategy. Key highlights include:

* the introduction of minimum thermal efficiency standards for all properties offered for rent,

* reviewing the National Fuel and Household Benefits Schemes so see how we can target cash supports effectively and prioritise colder homes,

* Achieving economies and harnessing community effort by the introduction of an area-based approach to mitigating energy poverty.

Importantly, the strategy also introduces a new approach to measuring energy poverty, which will help target at-risk households. The strategy will be implemented and monitored by the members of Inter-Departmental/Agency Group on Affordable Energy who will prioritise five work packages in the coming months (thermal efficiency standards, energy suppliers, area-based approach, data and information, and communication).

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD, comments: “While the Government faces difficult economic decisions in the coming weeks, we can’t forget those most in need – particularly as we face into another winter. We need a strategy that prioritises what can be done to protect low-income households.’

The Minister adds: “This is not something we will achieve overnight. The Programme for Government was clear that we needed a new way of thinking about the whole issue of energy poverty. The publication of this strategy marks a hugely important milestone in ensuring that we protect those most vulnerable in our society in a coordinated, cohesive and effective way.”

The European Commission has presented a new strategy to protect and improve the state of Europe’s biodiversity over the next decade. The strategy includes six targets which address the main drivers of biodiversity loss, and which will reduce the main pressures on nature and ecosystem services in the EU by anchoring biodiversity objectives in key sectoral policies.

The global aspects of biodiversity loss are also addressed, ensuring that the EU contributes to combating biodiversity loss around the world. The strategy is in line with the commitments made by the EU in Nagoya, Japan, last year.

In Europe, biodiversity is in crisis, with species extinctions running at unparalleled rates. Many ecosystems are degraded to the point where they are no longer able to deliver the wide variety of services we depend on – from clean air and water to pollination of crops and protection from floods. This degradation represents enormous social and economics losses for the EU. Insect pollination, for example, which is heavily declining in Europe, has an estimated economic value of Eur15 billion per year in the EU. The situation is no less worrying at the global level.

The new strategy features six priority targets and accompanying actions to greatly reduce the threats to biodiversity. The actions include:

* Full implementation of existing nature protection legislation and network of natural reserves, to ensure major improvements to the conservation status of habitats and species.

* Improving and restoring ecosystems and ecosystem services wherever possible, notably by the increased use of green infrastructure.

* Ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and forestry activities.

* Safeguarding and protecting EU fish stocks.

* Controlling invasive species, a growing cause of biodiversity loss in the EU.

* Stepping up the EU’s contribution to concerted global action to avert biodiversity loss.

The strategy is in line with two major commitments made by EU leaders in March 2010 – halting the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2020, and protecting, valuing and restoring EU biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2050. It is also in line with global commitments made in Nagoya in October 2010, in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity, where world leaders adopted a package of measures to address biodiversity loss world wide over the coming decade.

As an integral part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, the biodiversity strategy will contribute to the EU’s resource efficiency objectives by ensuring that Europe’s natural capital is managed sustainably, as well as to climate change mitigation and adaptation goals by improving the resilience of ecosystems and the services they provide.

The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive strategy, ‘Transport 2050’, for a competitive transport system designed to increase mobility, remove major barriers in key areas and fuel growth and employment. At the same time, the proposals will dramatically reduce Europe’s dependence on imported oil and cut carbon emissions in transport by 60% by 2050.

To achieve this will require a transformation in Europe’s current transport system. By 2050, key goals will include:

* No more conventionally-fuelled cars in cities.

* 40% use of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation; at least 40% cut in shipping emissions.

* A 50% shift of medium distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to rail and waterborne transport.

* All of which will contribute to a 60% cut in transport emissions by the middle of the century.

The Transport 2050 roadmap to a Single European Transport Area sets out to remove major barriers and bottlenecks in many key areas across the fields of: transport infrastructure and investment, innovation and the internal market. The aim is to create a Single European Transport Area with more competition and a fully integrated transport network which links the different modes and allows for a profound shift in transport patterns for passengers and freight. To this purpose, the roadmap puts forward 40 concrete initiatives for the next decade.

The Transport 2050 roadmap sets different goals for different types of journey – within cities, between cities, and long distance.

1 For intercity travel: 50% of all medium-distance passenger and freight transport should shift off the roads and onto rail and waterborne transport.

* By 2050, the majority of medium-distance passenger transport, about 300km and beyond, should go by rail.

* By 2030, 30% of road freight over 300 km should shift to other modes such as rail or waterborne transport, and more than 50% by 2050.

* Deliver a fully functional and EU-wide core network of transport corridors, ensuring facilities for efficient transfer between transport modes (TEN-T core network) by 2030, with a high-quality high-capacity network by 2050 and a corresponding set of information services.

* By 2050, connect all core network airports to the rail network, preferably high-speed; ensure that all core seaports are sufficiently connected to the rail freight and, where possible, inland waterway system.

* By 2020, establish the framework for a European multimodal transport information, management and payment system, both for passengers and freight.

* Move towards full application of “user pays” and “polluter pays” principles and private sector engagement to eliminate distortions, generate revenues and ensure financing for future transport investments.

2 For long-distance travel and intercontinental freight, air travel and ships will continue to dominate. New engines, fuels and traffic management systems will increase efficiency and reduce emissions.

- Low-carbon fuels in aviation to reach 40% by 2050; also, by 2050, reduce EU CO2 emissions from maritime bunker fuels by 40%.

- A complete modernisation of Europe’s air traffic control system by 2020, delivering the Single European Sky: shorter and safer air journeys and more capacity. Completion of the European Common Aviation Area of 58 countries and 1 billion inhabitants by 2020.

- Deployment of intelligent land and waterborne transport management systems (eg ERTMS, ITS, RIS, SafeSeaNet and LRIT).

- Work with international partners and in international organisations such as ICAO and IMO to promote European competitiveness and climate goals at a global level.

3 For urban transport, a big shift to cleaner cars and cleaner fuels. 50% shift away from conventionally fuelled cars by 2030, phasing them out in cities by 2050.

* Halve the use of ‘conventionally fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030; phase them out in cities by 2050; achieve essentially CO2-free movement of goods in major urban centres by 2030.

* By 2050, move close to zero fatalities in road transport. In line with this goal, the EU aims at halving road casualties by 2020. Make sure that the EU is a world leader in safety and security of transport in aviation, rail and maritime.

Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for transport, comments: “The widely held belief that you need to cut mobility to fight climate change is simply not true. Competitive transport systems are vital for Europe’s ability to compete in the world, for economic growth, job creation and for peoples’ everyday quality of life. Curbing mobility is not an option; neither is business as usual. We can break the transport system’s dependence on oil without sacrificing its efficiency and compromising mobility.”

The European Commission has launched a web-based consultation to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders on policy options for the European Union’s post-2010 EU biodiversity strategy.

Opinions are sought from citizens, stakeholders, public administrations, business and civil society on issues including the shortcomings of the existing biodiversity policy, the new approach that the Commission is proposing, farming and biodiversity, the economics of biodiversity, and biodiversity governance inside and outside the EU.

The results will feed into the new strategy which is under development. The consultation runs until 22 October 2010.

European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potocnik says: “Europeans agree on the need to step up efforts to combat biodiversity loss. I encourage everyone concerned by this vital issue to contribute and to help shape our policy on this vital issue.”

European Commissioner for Environment Janez Potocnik.

Many authoritative reports confirm that global biodiversity remains under severe threat, with losses occurring at 100 to 1000 times the normal rate. More than a third of species assessed are facing extinction and an estimated 60% of the Earth’s ecosystems have been degraded in the last 50 years.

In 2001, the EU set itself the target to halt biodiversity loss in the EU by 2010. Efforts to tackle biodiversity loss were subsequently stepped up, and an EU Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was adopted by the Commission in 2006 to accelerate progress. Despite the efforts to date, however, there are clear indications that the EU has not achieved its target. A new approach is therefore required.

New Focus to Combat Biodiversity Loss

In March 2010, the Council of the European Union agreed on a post-2010 vision and an ambitious new 2020 target for biodiversity to replace the expiring 2010 target. The new target aims to ‘halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, restore them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss’.

The Council asked the Commission to develop a fully-fledged strategy focused on a limited set of measurable sub-targets for different ecosystems, drivers of biodiversity loss, and response measures.

This survey is intended to canvas opinions about the various policy options available to fine-tune the new strategy, and the steps needed to ensure that it achieves the desired results. The survey asks in particular about areas where current EU legislation is perceived as inadequate or in need of strengthening, and about options for improving the integration of biodiversity policy into other areas.

Visit www.ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/biodecline.htm to take part in the survey.