Climate change and the environment: How can we live in harmony with nature?
The young climate activists of Fridays for Future have been shouting it out loud: the planet is getting hot! The way we move around, we produce goods, we obtain energy, we feed and dress ourselves has an impact on the environment. But... do we always realise that our comfort sometimes comes at a very high price? The CO2 we generate causes global warming that leads to extreme weather like floods, droughts and hurricanes, forcing many to leave their homes and to become climate refugees. The use of pesticides, plastics and fossil fuels damage our lands and generate loss of biodiversity. In addition, in the EU, around 87.6 million tons of food is lost or wasted every year between the farm and the fork. An uncomfortable truth that causes huge economic losses and a lot of needless hunger in the world.
The European Union has a plan. It is called the Green Deal. The goal is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Cool, isn't it? But how? We must achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by reducing greenhouse gases and compensating for any remaining ones. In other words, Member States are asked to use the EU’s recovery funds to invest in environmentally friendly technologies, to decarbonise the energy sector and to pollute less. How can young people contribute to this ambitious task? Look around you. What do you see? Is there any step you can take to stop climate change? How can you inspire others to buy less and dispose better? Are we using our resources sustainably, wisely and fairly? Tell us what you think. What would you do? Participate. Have your say on matters that affect your life. Help shape Europe’s future on climate.
My idea would be to tax any kind of product or service that produces greenhouse gases (CO2), thereby reducing other types of taxes in parallel.
This would be a good compromise for companies to move and change their way of producing their product.
Ever since the beginning of our existance it was in our nature to create things, to built. And we have built and build. We have transformed forests into concrete walls and highways. It is not a secret that the green land of our planet is shinking everyday. We do not realise that the more trees we cut for factories and all other buildings, the more we endager the planet and we are practically digging our own graves.
The easy way to put it is: plants (the green land on the map) transform the carbon dioxide from the air in oxigen. We, humans, need that oxigen otherwise we die. In excange for that oxigen, we give back carbon dioxide, exactly what plans need. The more trees we cut, the less oxigen we get, therfore, in a very short period of time, there will not be enough oxigen for almost 8 billion people.
My idea is: every time a child is born, there will be a tree planted somewhere. It doesnt't matter where, in our personal garden, in a parc, or even in a special place made for this. However, in order to work, it should be a law, otherwise people won't even think about it and their children will later have to suffer all the slow effects of the lack of oxigen.
I consider that changes start from a local point and continues to have a global impact. Sometimes people around us are forgetful of climate changes and different formations of the environment. They frequently ask questions why the temperature is higher than it was 5 or 10 years ago, or why snow doesn't come in their city/village/community, when there were layers of snow in the past. They may know answers to all these questions, but do not go to the roots of the changes and cannot face their negative contributions to the climate; therefore, to remind people of taking care of their communities, it would be better to promote the ,,celebration'' of World Cleanup Day or World Environment Day and encourage people to take their time to dispose of garbage in the polluted areas. We should stimulate the using of bikes, but in this case, it is important the governments to create separated bike lanes, this will be a motivation for people to make bicycles one of the most frequently-used means of transportation. Our role in the development of bicycle culture is to actively popularize riding a bike in public and make governments responsible for installing cycle tracks.
In order to meet the ambitious goals set in the European Green Deal, high taxation or a complete ban on the new major energy transnational projects and which are not based on renewable energy sources must be imposed. The funders of those projects or those who participate in their construction must experience be imposed higher tax rates. Also, the annual forum of the young European renewable-energy entrepreneurs is to be organised to promote carbon-free lifestyle benefits, share new technologies and establish business partnerships.
For instance, the transportation of natural gas is linked to the major leak of methane into the atmosphere. Therefore, setting up new transnational energy projects which are based on oil/natural gas/ coal creates a corrosive influence on the European unity regarding its zero-carbon future. By taking more and more market space, the old energy sources simply eliminate the fast integration of renewable energy sources in daily life. Also, it harms the desire of young people to use, invest in or develop new green technologies.
Thus, the European Green Deal depends on the change of policy regarding the energy projects based on 'old' energy sources and creating new opportunities for youth who is interested in doing business with renewable energy sources.
Every day our daily existence exacerbates the climate situation around the world. Already today we can observe incredible changes every day, such as unexpected snow in the last months of spring, very strong hurricanes, heavy rains that wash away everything in its path. But each of us could take a small step that would be of great importance in a global sense. From school years on, every child should understand the essence of waste sorting and deliberate consumption. In Ukraine, there is a huge problem with landfills, since the only sorting landfill is located in the capital, but large companies are trying to develop this site themselves, which is very positive. I believe it would be helpful to educate children on correct consumption and how to reduce the use of plastic in their lives. It would be cool if each school had garbage sorting stations, which would then be transferred to recycling stations.
I believe that plastic disposable bags should be banned. People should learn to plan their purchases and use cloth bags or any other alternative instead of disposable bags.
In the last few decades, the usage of biomass as a renewable energy source (next to wind turbines and solar panels) has become very popular in developed countries, especially in Europe. Biomass is a collection of organic materials and waste in nature that come from plants and animals and includes wood and wood processing wastes, agricultural crops and food processing residues, animal manure and human sewage, etc. It is regarded as a better alternative to fossil fuels, since, as mentioned, it is renewable, can be distributed well all over the world, is less costly, and contributes to more efficient usage of resources.
My suggestion would be to promote developing countries (including Georgia) to incorporate biomass as an energy resource and help them decrease the usage of fossil fuels. For this, there are a few necessary steps to be made, such as organizing projects concerning the topic; reaching out to citizens and local authorities by different means, including but not limited to promotional events, official meetings, informative sessions, etc.; arranging workshops and training for people who work in agriculture and forestry and waste management. All this will contribute to successfully achieving the set goal.
Using biomass will not only help countries to efficiently use their resources but also have a positive impact on the environment. Since biomass is a renewable resource and, if utilized well, can be provided in large quantities, the number of trees cut down will decrease, especially by people living in the countryside, who then will have no incentive to do so illegally. Additionally, there will be no need to provide electricity and gas lines to hardly accessible areas, since citizens living there will instead use biomass.
All in all, I believe a better utilization of biomass energy in developing (as well as developed) countries is the next considerable step towards sustainability and development.
My idea is that we need to have sustainable alternatives to air travel, and one of those viable alternatives could be the use of trains, since there's already infrastructure in place. In order for that to be achieved we need changes like train routes/connections being easier to plan/buy/travel and the prices must be drastically reduced in order for the consumer to forego the speediness of planes and opt for a greener alternative.
• 30 September 2021
Greater involvement of retail chains, markets, small shops in food waste. The creation of a European/regional and local food bank and thus a platform where people buy products with a shorter time to eat at a lower price.
• 30 September 2021
Replacing plastic bottles, bar packaging, chips and cans with another biodegradable material.
Due to the drastic changes in the process of global warming, I would love to see more joint actions between the EU and the Eastern Partnership Countries. Raising awareness and calculated actions can bring huge changes for our planet. Raising awareness campaigns would be interesting as well as super engaging, where every person can express their attitude towards this issue and deliver a message about what can we contribute to save the planet.
Due to the drastic changes in the process of global warming, I would love to see more joint actions between the EU and the Eastern Partnership Countries. Raising awareness and calculated actions can bring huge changes for our planet. Raising awareness campaigns would be interesting as well as super engaging, where every person can express their attitude towards this issue and deliver a message about what can we contribute to save the planet.
• 30 September 2021
Increase EU funding for countries most affected by the energy transition
I want Europi to have a circular economy model. Each waste can be used as a raw material. We are currently looking for lithium and other valuable elements despite the fact that they are overdue on illegal electro-smile islands. I want to develop technologies to fully recycle waste. I would like to stress in particular the issue of waste from nuclear power plants. They are the main problem of nuclear energy. They are untreated for several thousands of years. There is no prospect of being separated from the environment for such a long time. Instead, they contain fissile isotopes called actinators. They have huge energy potential and can be a key source of energy. Their fission will reduce the time when nuclear waste is hazardous from several tens of thousands to several hundred years. However, generation IV reactors (FBR, ADS) are needed. I call for work to be organised and financed on reactors capable of fisting the most cumbersome isotopes from nuclear waste and of producing zero-emission energy in the spirit of zero waste.
Green energy for old blocks, green heating systems, green greenhouses on blocks. Given the huge blocks built in Romania without covering, I can certainly say that electricity or green heat systems can be incorporated in order to reduce citizens’ costs of energy supplied by large producers.
Thank you!
The restoration of areas at risk of being served in the next period (10-20-30-50 years), greater attention in selecting waste and educating the population in this respect. taxing large polluters on the good not just from words.
Any business that uses vegetables and fruit must compost (example, restaurants, hotels). That doesn't necessarly means that they must do it in loco, depending on the national or local authorities this can be achieved by:
- Community composting;
- Selective collection of organic waste;
- Developing a system where citizens who compost at home may collect this "waste". A term of responsibility must be drawn in order to insure that the residues aren't for human consumption (besides composting it could also be used for feeding animals).
It should also be mandatory for local authorities to compost since there's a lot of brown material (leaves, branches) that's collected.
A video about climate change
Supermarkets shouldn't be allowed to throw in the garbage products that are still in good condition.
Food under its expiration date (or that it's still safe to consume) should be donated to institutions/people in need.
Building such as schools, hospitals and supermarkets, which have a lot of roof space available and are high consumers of electricity, should have photovoltaic panels. Besides benefiting from a low electric bill that would be a way of building small scale solar farms without occupying land.
On the climate change issue, we all must start to protect the environment with letter but Meaningful steps. If we are able to Recycle, reduce and reuse, then the land, air and the Rivers wuld be much purified. By this I mean that we needed to reduce our recycling by any means, and of course, to reuse it in other ways. (Materials like paper, plastic can be transformed into real products: Boxes, ornaments, toys, etc.). Food that we don’t want to eat can be given to animals from the sheds, the restaurants and Hypermarkets can make it easier to restore food to homeless people, character organisations, nurturing homes, children starting in Africa, etc. not going it away... Surprisingly, they will have a very positive impact on the European economy and the Earth could be much happier. She’s a lot more ideas to talk, but I resume at these ones. Thank you. Fish you all the best of luck.
• 01 October 2021
Stopping the massive defences of pads in Romanian Carpathians!
Limitation of trophy hunting imports in the EU. The EU should follow initiatives taken by member States like the Netherlands, France or Belgium and ban the entry of trophy imports in the EU for species deemed vulnerable or threatened (annex A and Annex B). Species threatened or vulnerable can be killed by trophy hunters, with the only objective of dissecting their body parts and exhibiting them. Quotas for imports are furthermore set arbitrarily and with insufficient information and thus it is not a viable system. Finally, trophy hunting does not scientifically contribute to the conservation of said species, and in fact disrupts the genetic pool that helps the survival and adaptation of these species, as the strongest specimens are killed off by trophy hunters. Trophy hunting also does not contribute to the development of local communities where the hunting takes place as most of the profits are reaped by intermediaries and foreign holiday operators. Biodiversity must be protected to avoid another extinction crisis, and trophy hunting is a clear threat to threatened species.
• 01 October 2021
Climate and environmental changes have a major source, which is overcrowding! The statutory control of birth in the EU and the blocking of all forms of aid to non-EU countries in which the birth rate is not strictly linked.
EU ban on landfields - objective: co2 reduction, circular economy, land regeneration
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• 02 October 2021
Only imported products that cannot be produced in national territory should be sold in supermarkets and large-scale shops. Domestic products would be sold in surrounding small shops and at fairs directly from the producer. This would have a positive impact on the national economy and reduce the environmental costs of transport.
On the climate change issue, we all must start to protect the environment with letter but Meaningful steps. If we are able to Recycle, reduce and reuse, then the land, air and the Rivers wuld be much purified. By this I mean that we needed to reduce our recycling by any means, and of course, to reuse it in other ways. (Materials like paper, plastic can be transformed into real products: Boxes, ornaments, toys, etc.). Food that we don’t want to eat can be given to animals from the sheds, the restaurants and Hypermarkets can make it easier to restore food to homeless people, character organisations, nurturing homes, children starting in Africa, etc. not going it away... Surprisingly, they will have a very positive impact on the European economy and the Earth could be much happier. She’s a lot more ideas to talk, but I resume at these ones. Thank you. Fish you all the best of luck.
Geothermal Power:
Underground reservoirs of steamy hot water are the fuel for geothermal power. It can be piped to the surface to drive turbines that produce electricity without pollution
A full description
Due to the rise of global temperatures by 1.5 degrees, there is not so much time left for the EU and the entire world to stop the catastrophe. Even though, we can say that the achievements, the EU had done are great (like Carbon tax), the European Institutions, and the European society must focus on the rapid investments in carbon capture and storage technology and the direct air capture technology. I also urge the European Institutions and the European Society as a whole to not reduce the nuclear energy, because by reducing them, the use of fossil fuels will again increase and can lead to the increase in carbon emissions around Europe. In addition, I advice the European politicians to use the Market power of Europe around the World in order to decrease the use of fossil fuels dramatically.
All of these steps, I believe will be necessary for reaching the climate-neutral continent goal by 2050.
Due to the rise of global temperatures by 1.5 degrees, there is not so much time left for the EU and the entire world to stop the catastrophe. Even though we can say that the achievements, the EU had done are great (like a Carbon tax), the European Institutions and the European society must focus on the rapid investments in carbon capture and storage technology and the direct air capture technology. I also urge the European Institutions and the European Society as a whole to not reduce nuclear energy, because by reducing them, the use of fossil fuels will again increase and can lead to an increase in carbon emissions around Europe. In addition, I advise the European politicians to use the Market power of Europe around the World in order to decrease the use of fossil fuels dramatically.
All of these steps, I believe will be necessary for reaching the climate-neutral continent goal by 2050.
To promote nuclear energy as an efficient contributor to decreasing C02 emissions whilst delivering the volume of energy required to develop European industries and convert into "greener" existing ones as well as transforming many aspects of our daily lives including transportation and warming. Short term, it is the most efficient way.
To promote GMO application to agricultural industry, in order to reduce consumption of pesticides and inputs. It has multiple benefits: i) land protection, ii) reduction of energy consumption by farmers iii) increase in production necessary to feed an increasing wolrd population iv) reduces food related deseases for human and improve health impact on individuals
I am a Young European Ambassador from Azerbaijan.
Even though carbon is considered the most important factor in the increase of global temperatures, we should never forget about the deadly effect of methane gas. There are still a lot of industrial facilities in the EU (like the natural gas storage facility in Italy) which are leaking methane into the air, and there is not enough regulation from the EU to stop it. That is why I urge the European policymakers to look at that problem and create some new regulations or even add the methane problem into the Green Deal. Methane is much deadlier than carbon, and if we will not stop the spread of both carbon and methane, then we will reach the "point of no return".
• 04 October 2021
1. Just as in the case of wheels after a certain degree of wear only the tyres change, the same should be done with windscreen wipers/window wipers. Change only the wiper lamel and not the whole piece. It would be a huge advantage for the environment.
2. Electric digesters. Manufacturers and traders should be obliged to specify on the packaging and in the product description the minimum quantity of water recommended by the manufacturer.
LYMEC's vision on political priorities - Fight against Climate Change and Environmental Challenges
Fight against Climate Change and Environmental Challenges:
• The EU’s leaders must come up with a consensus and contingency plan on how to act on the consequences of climate change. These consequences include natural disasters, such as floods, droughts and wildfires, and increased socio-economic and humanitarian pressures
as a result of climate migration. Acknowledging that climate change has serious consequences on intensifying humanitarian conflicts is crucial and the the EU must acknowledge that the climate crisis is no longer hypothetical, but is already having direct and irreversible consequences for the lives of millions around the world.
• There needs to be an increased awareness of sustainable development and climate issues, not just among young people but across all generations.
• Instead of increasing taxation, we should make the ETS more effective by increasing the price of emission rights. The ETS should further be expanded to all carbon-emitting sectors and implemented on an international level.
• We need realistic, yet high environmental standards as an engine for new technology and innovations. Member States need to increase the public and private investment for research and development in support of sustainable development and environmentally-friendly technologies.
The issue countries are tackling is gender ecology. There’s a huge gap between the eco-activists with the gender-oriented point of view and old-fashion mindsets who don’t feel the gender misbalance. We consider that would be relevant to enhance the women influence of climate change to create the deeper understanding how the females might effect for sustainable future.
The issue countries are tackling is gender ecology. There’s a huge gap between the eco-activists with the gender-oriented point of view and old-fashion mindsets who don’t feel the gender misbalance. We consider that would be relevant to enhance the women influence of climate change to create the deeper understanding how the females might effect for sustainable future.
• 04 October 2021
Installation of plastic, paper and glass recycling bins in all educational establishments. After evaluations and works, a huge amount of paper that could be recycled is collected.
Hello everyone,
The following is my proposition for an EU strategy of combating climate change:
At the moment, almost the entirety of the carbon concentration reduction in the atmosphere is relate to reducing carbon emissions. I think the global initiatives cover this topic well, to the point of overdoing it (see the Czech response to the EU carbon emission reduction plan). It is crucial to offer solutions which do not cause disproportionate harm to either certain industries or to specific countries and economies. In this type of negotiation, all parties must reach a compromise so that we can hit our climate goals and also not severely cripple the target countries.
My opinion is that we should focus more on carbon capture technologies. If we develop efficient technologies for carbon capture and build carbon capture and storage plants, we can create jobs, and at the same time indirectly reduce the carbon footprint of carbon emission-rigid industries, while at the same time pressing all markets to reduce their carbon footprint.
These carbon capture and storage plants could be initially funded by the state, until the technology reaches a maturity level which allows them to be self-sustainable. Also, if we will have already developed the widespread carbon capture infrastructure, we will always be able to use it in the future for potential carbon dioxide concentration spikes in the atmosphere.
Thank you for reading and I hope you will take this proposition into consideration.
- For me, an European citizen who grew up in Romania and currently lives in Austria, the differences between the state of habitats in the highly industrialized countries in the EU and the quality of habitats in the EU developing countries is striking. This is also confirmed by the latest "State of nature in the EU" report, published by the EEA in October 2020. The more industrialized countries have provided a wrong model which leads nature, that includes us people, to a dead end. But this failure has not yet been admitted publicly at an European level. It is a fact that has to be recognized. Because the poorer countries still look up to that model of the rich countries with the belief it is THE path towards human prosperity. In reality, the overdevelopment and the overconsumption are a trap. Achieving high standards of living just for people by leading a war on nature only reduces life quality and leads in the end to a suicide. And the industrialized countries have the responsibility to warn the other ones about that. Also publicly.
- Immediately give up any greenwashing attempts.
- Let nature recover. Give back space to nature. Let the fragmented habitats reconnect. Repair damages caused by humans in nature.
- Withdraw the current Common Agricultural Politics. Because it continues to favour and support the industrial agricultural practices, while the organic, small-scale farming is left behind. The EU financial support for industrial agriculture translates in reality into massive habitat destruction, dramatic decline in wildlife population (animals, birds, insects, wild plants etc), soil poisoning, huge greenhouse emissions, enormous ecosystem damages and of course negative impacts to human health. The current CAP goes against the latest recommendations of European Environment Agency. There is also a petition signed by more than 71000 European citizens demanding that you withdraw this CAP! But so far you have proved that you are capable of an extreme ignorance. We need you to do steps towards a real positive change.
- Stop labeling hydropower plants a "green source of energy". They are not. They disrupt the river ecosystems in a very brutal way. Stop financing the distruction of the last free flowing rivers in Europe through subsidies for hydropower plants.
- Stop labeling burning biomass a green and renewable source of energy. Entire old growth forests have been already cut with the support of European subsidies. Only to be transformed in pellets.
- Stop labeling the nuclear power a green source of energy. How is it possible that after all the harm nuclear disasters have caused in the world, the politicians in Romania are now allowed to expand the atomic power plant at Cernavodă?! Expansion projects like this one are a direct threat to our existence.
- Stop the illegal logging and forest exploitation in old growth-forests and natural protected areas.
- In 2021 the single-use plastic items are still not banned in reality! Especially in countries like Greece, Romania or Bulgaria.
- Move on from the unnecessary single-use packages and head towards reusable packages and a circular economy. Place compost points in the cities.
- Forbid trophy hunting practices.
- Stop live animal transport.
- Solve the e-waste leakage problem.
and so on.
5-year guarantee for all goods sold. This would help to significantly reduce the amount of waste, force producers to make better components, eliminate cheaply non-branded products and compensate for a higher purchase price.
Manufacturers overstate the prices of spare parts, there should be a cap on the cost of a product composed of spare parts not exceeding 150 % of the price of the finished product. Good equipment is often thrown away simply because a replacement battery costs between 90 % and 100 % of the price of the entire new product.
Ban the use of plastic products.Increase measures for those who do not recycle.
The only way is to reduce domestic animal's species to 33% from today's numbers untill 2050 and remaining populations have to migrate from North and South to Central America, Asia and Africa. After that migration, the survives they should adapt to the new climate change and try to live further in harmony with our planet and stop surviving.. Untill that time is nothing we can do, the nature will do that for us. Is another step of the species evolution. Good luck!
• 06 October 2021
As a Polish citizen, on many journeys with my family in Europe, I noticed the huge dominance of road transport as a means of transport to reach the place of rest during the holiday. During my childhood, I remember the opportunity to travel in western Europe during the holiday period by means of trains picking up cars on a special ramp, eliminating the problem of communication at the place of residence, while significantly shortening the distance travelled by a car. International connections of this kind have disappeared from Europe’s rail map for many years, and in times of climate warming, distracting tourists from long-distance car journeys would lead to a noticeable reduction in car traffic during holidays. Many families would choose to travel by train with the option of stopping their car, as this greatly enhances the comfort of the journey and is a convenient way to transport the items necessary for the family with children, which can be in the car for the journey. From the information available to me, rail transport leaves the lowest carbon footprint among long-distance modes of transport. I am aware that many stations in Europe have the necessary infrastructure, i.e. loading ramps, but, as in the case of the station in Katowice, for example, they have not been used for many years. In my opinion, an integrated network from Tallinn, Gdańsk, Warsaw and Hamburg to Dubrovnik, Naples, Marseilles or Narbonne would be a symbol of a united Europe’s ecological and civic action.
Plastic incineration: program of creating modern advanced plastic incineration plants with high tech filtering for exhaust gases coupled with investing in research into better packaging materials as the primary focus into getting rid of plastic. We now know that recycling plastic does not work. Only 5-10% of plastic is recycled and recycled plastic cannot be recycled indefinitely. Recycling promotes further plastic use as people have the false belief that if the plastic is put in the correct container, the environment will be clean
UPDATE OF THE EUROPEAN NOISE DIRECTIVE
INTRODUCED:
Noise pollution in Europe is the second largest source of post-air pollution, affecting both the quality of human life and biodiversity.
About 1,6 million healthy life years are lost every year due to the consequences of noise pollution. Based on the European indicator, more or less, 113 million Europeans are exposed to more than 55 dB Lden due to land transport, causing an estimated cost of EUR 57.100 million each year. By rail, 22 million people are exposed to noise and 4 million Europeans to aircraft. This not only causes health problems, it has resulted in a total of 12.000 premature deaths and causes 48.000 new cases of ischaemic heart disease. In addition, it has caused chronic sleep disturbances, high chronic discomfort and even significantly increased risk to stroke.
DESCRIPTION:
Directive 2002/49/EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise is the main instrument against noise pollution in the European Union. This directive is based on three main points:
● The determination of noise levels in the different regions.
● Public information on noise levels to make it accessible to everyone.
● Reduce and avoid increases in noise exposure and maintain low levels in compliance sites. In
order to monitor, each Member State must, every five years, map the amount of noise and submit an action plan to be consulted first with civil society in order to:
● Aglomerations of more than 100.000 inhabitants
● Large roads (more than 3 million vehicles per year)
● Large railways (more than 30.000 trains per year)
● Large airports (more than 50.000 journeys per year, including small aircraft and helicopters)
One of the major problems of this directive is that it does not set limit values or targets, nor prescribes the measures to be included in the action plans. This has resulted in the Directive not being as productive and effective as expected in terms of reducing this type of pollution. In
addition, European noise pollution levels should be in line with those recommended by the World Health Organisation.
PROPOSAL:
It should be borne in mind that the WHO recommends reducing noise exposure to levels below those associated with adverse health effects by setting limits for the road (53 dB during the day, 45 dB during the night), rail (54 dB during the day, 44 dB during the night) and aviation (45 dB during the day, 40 dB during the night), as well as conditional limits for wind turbines and leisure noise. Despite these recommendations, the growth of this type of pollution does not stop and does not seem to see major changes in the coming years.
It is true that many proposals are already being made in some cities in Europe (Lyon, Turin or Copenhagen), such as the Monica project which aims to avoid a greater noise impact on festivals through a range of acoustic applications that control and reduce noise emissions. These initiatives exemplify the growing interest of cities in tackling noise pollution and improving citizens’ health. However, action by the European Union is needed to support local efforts in this area.
On the basis of the above, the European Union should revise the thresholds set out in the Environmental Noise Directive to bring them into line with those proposed by the WHO for the good of European citizens’ health and make them mandatory by a certain date by:
● Member States are forced to comply and stop slowing down the process leading to lower noise pollution.
● Reduce both noise-related diseases and deaths.
● Ensure quiet spaces in cities.
● Cooperative to make the future of cities more sustainable for both biodiversity and human life.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
EUROPEAN STANDARDISATION OF MUNICIPAL WASTE COLLECTION
INTRODUCTION:
The European commitment to the circular economy makes it essential to optimise the urban waste collection model in order to make it easier for the greatest amount of waste generated by citizens to be returned to the production cycle throughout the EU. This necessarily requires a collection model with a high rate of waste segregation by users. It is at that stage, before they are mixed, that waste sorting is simpler and more efficient. Currently, the absence of a standardisation policy implies very different waste separation rates according to the system put in place by the Member State. For example, the recycling rate in Germany is 68 %, while in Greece it is 19 %. Efforts should therefore be made to standardise the collection of municipal waste at European level, boosting both the circular economy and sustainability in cities.
DESCRIPTION:
Although the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC establishes, among other things, a waste hierarchy at European level, there is no policy to standardise a collection system in all Member States. For this reason, and in an effort to improve the waste separation rate, different cities have opted for a variety of models. Of the single collection model, which has already been abandoned, three main routes to be followed for waste segregation were defined: 4 fractions (paper card, debris, glass, containers), 5 fractions (paper board, organic, glass, containers and remnants) and 3 fractions (paper-board, organic, debris) + SDDR. With regard to SDDR (returnable packaging system), the Responsible Consumer Working Group of this Forum x the Future of the EU has drawn up a specific proposal detailing its characteristics.
On the other hand, different models of the waste collection system have been tested with clearly predominant models of surface containers and door-to-door collection. Generally disregarding the option of underground collection models by pneumatic or conveyor belt systems because of their high cost and difficult installation in consolidated urban areas.
The challenges to be met by such tools, management models, are the optimisation of waste segregation, at the lowest possible cost, avoiding interference with social customs already in place and ensuring that the adopted model respects environmental protection values.
PROPOSAL:
In order to achieve an optimal solution at European level, it is first necessary to compare the different systems. Between the door-to-door system and the container collection system, door-to-door collection leads to a significant increase in resource segregation, mandatory and easier to identify and penalise offenders, encouraging citizens to take on the model, but it has a higher cost than collection per container. Moreover, this system causes great social rejection as it requires very rigid collection times, greater segregation by users, and the anonymity of litter is not guaranteed. In other words, the cost and social implications of this system have the potential.
On the contrary, the model of collection by container and splitting into four fractions (paper paper, glass, remnants, packaging) has good glass segregation figures, where there has already been a well-established awareness for decades, but more discreet figures on cardboard paper and rather low in packaging. Although progress has been made due to changing mindsets and efforts to raise public awareness, the rapid progress that should be made is not progressing. A model should be chosen at European level which in itself incentivises waste segregation by users.
We therefore propose that the collection of municipal waste be standardised at European level, with the implementation of a system of collection in containers with three fractions (paper-cardboard, organic, waste) + SDDR. This system results in a high rate of packaging segregation by providing consumers with a positive economic incentive. In addition, packaging is the waste with the highest recovery and in turn it is the packaging that accounts for the largest amount of waste. By sorting packaging on a voluntary basis, the separation of other waste is simpler and this practice would help to increase the segregation figures in all fractions. On the other hand, by removing the packaging, the most voluminous waste from the ordinary container collection circuit could reduce the number of containers in urban areas. Reducing the number of containers would not only minimise the occupation of public space, but would also be more efficient in economic terms.
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN EC AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES
INTRODUCTION:
The Millennium Development Goals were defined in conjunction with the European Union’s intentions to emphasise the importance of decentralisation for the development of initiatives already in the 90s. This began to highlight the importance of contributing to the improvement of local democratic governance and citizen participation. In fact, new societal changes are opening up the possibility to face the challenges of the current system by putting the voice of citizens at the centre of politics.
Against this background, it should be stressed that the local contribution has been crucial in all respects to such an extent that cooperation has led to multilevel support systems and contributed to the progressive integration of the rural dimension and the territorial approach into European aid policies and the development of sustainable cities.
DESCRIPTION:
Citizens’ forums or citizens’ panels, whatever the name of the new initiatives promoted by the European Union, are a tool for democratising Europe. Citizen participation has proved equally useful and successful both in complex technical matters and in controversial social and ethical issues in terms of decisions relating to the sustainability of cities.
However, at European level, there are still a number of challenges; The EU’s complex political decision-making processes, the different political traditions of the Member States or the cultures of heterogeneous participation. This barrier has prevented local demands and needs from reaching the European Union in this area. In view of the increased demand for participatory forums, their effectiveness has started to decline, leading to the promotion of this ‘democratic participation’ by means of superficial initiatives designed at the forefront.
Similarly, looking at the shift from ad hoc fora to those that have now been established as permanent, there are also no changes in trends towards an improvement in democratisation in Europe.
PROPOSAL:
José Antonio Sanahuja and Francisco Javier Verdes-Montenegro stressed the importance of giving local authorities a voice as it directly influences the effectiveness of the aid sought and received.
Even if the European Union has been taking various measures that have been focusing on local authorities (communication “Local authorities: Actors for development ", 2008; European Charter of Cooperation in support of local democratic governance and decentralisation), has not been sufficient. In
order for relations between the European Commission and local authorities to be strengthened in the field of sustainable cities, it is necessary for the European institutions to harmonise the different systems of local participation and to emphasise its role in improving the effectiveness of local European legislative assemblies and their communication with the European institutions. This will ensure the principles of subsidiarity and complementarity. We
therefore propose to set up, gradually, a system of citizens’ juries or citizens’ councils in the field of urban development plans financed by the European Union. At these meetings, a number of randomly selected participants and associations attend a session during which a number of technicians and experts could present to them any local plans promoted by the European Union where they could recommend, express their views or propose alternatives. This system
is already under way in the Basque Country, Catalonia and the United Kingdom with great success.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
• 07 October 2021
PEATONALES-CICLISTAS NETWORKS FOR CLEANER AIR IN URBAN CENTRES
INTRODUCTION:
Air pollution is one of the major challenges of the 21st century for the health of Europeans and, according to the WHO, is one of the biggest environmental risks. Approximately 400 000 people across Europe die every year from excessive air pollution from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. In particular, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone as well as PM10 and PM2,5 are the air pollutants responsible for most of these early deaths. But it not only damages our health directly, but also indirectly as it affects the quality of drinking water and soil, damaging ecosystems through the acid rain it produces and eutrophication.
Even if thirty years ago the European Union has had minimum legislation to try to reduce this pollution, the EU’s objectives are still far removed.
DESCRIPTION:
Air quality in the European Union has improved considerably since the 70s. In this area, the EU has three key legal mechanisms, namely the establishment of general air quality standards, the definition of national emission limits and more concrete legislation on sources of pollution.
One of the pillars of EU air policy is the 2008 Ambient Air Quality Directive, which sets a number of air quality standards to be met in order to reduce potential concentrations of pollutants in the air. This was complemented by the Clean Air Programme in 2013 to ensure compliance until 2020 and to set new targets for 2030.
Noteworthy is the work of the European Environment Agency which assesses and examines environmental policy instruments since 1996 when, for the first time, two summary reports on ‘green taxes’ and on ‘voluntary environmental agreements’ were made.
However, European legislation has not had the necessary impact at Community level. Indeed, the European Court of Auditors has stressed that European citizens continue to suffer the consequences of emissions due to a lack of political commitment and vague legislation.
It is therefore necessary to start looking for alternatives to those factors that most influence air quality, such as transport.
PROPOSAL:
Even if greater use is envisaged of economic instruments such as environmental taxes, these have been further developed at national level with slow progress at EU level. This type of policy is that they have been contributing more or less to the reduction of emissions in EU countries, but despite all efforts, air quality seems not to improve as deemed relevant and, in addition, are measures that punish citizens with more taxes rather than encourage more effective policy action.
With a view to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, and bearing in mind that, in the European framework on air pollution, the measures to be taken with regard to those cities that do not comply with air quality standards provide little incentive for lower emissions, we propose the following: a formal recommendation from the European Union to promote a plan for the construction of bike lanes, removing space from private transport and giving space for the public highway to increase the well-being of all.
Within the European Union, we have made good progress on health and well-being in tackling the main causes of death and disease. However, air pollution remains a challenge and obstacle to improving the quality of life which, without immediate action, we will not be able to improve. With this in mind, electric bicycles and skates are presented as the most sustainable alternative to conventional transport. Cycling is 25 times more efficient than the car in transforming energy into motion and about 10 times more efficient than public transport. In addition, it contributes to maintaining a more active and healthy population and its use is linked to increasing happiness. On the other hand, its use was traditionally contradicted because it requires physical effort that some people could not perform, or is not the best option for mobility in cities with high levels or times of high heat. E-bikes and VMP have resolved these problems, leaving no excuse for European citizens to take up these forms of mobility on a daily basis.
These proposals have been set up in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
• 07 October 2021
CREATION OF SOCIAL HOUSING IN REVITALISED BUILDINGS
INTRODUCTION:
Today, European urban areas are starting to incorporate energy transition policies to meet the European goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. However, the social field must be incorporated into these policies. In 2019, 21.1 % of the EU population was at risk of poverty and social exclusion. Although this number has improved over the last decade, the number of homeless people in Europe has increased by 70 % in ten years and the EU has not met its target of lifting 20 million people out of poverty by 2020. In addition to the socio-economic consequences of living in poverty, these people are also prone to energy poverty. Against this background, there is a need to develop public policies aimed at meeting the needs of these people and to facilitate equal access to energy efficiency first, and then to green technologies.
DESCRIPTION:
The UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, highlights that since 2007, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, knowing that this amount will continue to grow. These nerve centres are leading to strong economic growth, which is also leading to an increase in marginal neighbourhoods, inadequate services, poor infrastructure and ultimately uncontrolled growth 6. This growth has also translated into higher house rental prices and privatisation of public housing. In the social field, this means that more than 92.4 million people in Europe are at risk of poverty and the number of households suffering from energy poverty is estimated to be over 50 million.
This is compounded by the lack of public housing in Europe that guarantees the right to housing and basic supplies. Therefore, by combining this initiative with ‘revitalisation of abandoned buildings’, we believe it is essential and essential that revitalised buildings be used for the creation of public housing, in line with the energy efficiency standards set by the EU.
PROPOSAL:
Due to the points mentioned above, and that access to affordable housing has become a concern in the Member States, we propose that revitalised abandoned buildings be used for the creation of housing and social centres. This would alleviate the shortage of social housing while applying the principles of energy efficiency and the use of renewables in these revitalised buildings, following EU energy policies.
This proposal is of utmost importance in the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has had a negative impact on people on lower incomes who, significantly, have experienced unemployment, and the general population has experienced an increase in energy consumption due to lockdown and teleworking. The situation has also been aggravated by the recent cold waves that hit Europe at the beginning of 2021, leaving thousands of families without decent housing, without electricity supply and making it impossible to heat their homes, among others.
One model to follow in the practice of social housing construction is the city of Vienna. The Austrian city invests more than EUR 570 million a year in building, rehabilitating and subsidising social housing. In fact, two thirds of the population live in municipal or subsidised housing and have a post-war renovation programme to put them into sustainable social housing and prevent energy poverty. This model is evidence that a programme that combines the renovation of abandoned buildings and the creation of social housing is possible not only to meet the social demands of the population, but also to accelerate a socially just green transition.
These proposals have been set up in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
REVITALISATION OF ABANDONED BUILDINGS
INTRODUCED:
Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, European cities have been the centre of continuous change and growth. Society has thus left a footprint in urban areas, leading to construction around the economic activities specific to that time, such as industry and mining. However, when industries declined or parts of cities were abandoned due to emigration, urban wrecks or gaps were left in the built environment. Economic, environmental or political changes have led to the formation of intact spaces between unusable buildings or industrial areas that have fostered new urban revitalisation policies focusing on revitalisation. In this new perspective, local and regional actors are given a central role in adapting cities to new societal demands.
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
The European Regional Development Fund, now the ERDF, seeks to promote socio-economic cohesion between the regions of the European Union in order to reduce the disparities between them.
Turning more to the subject of this funding fund, we can find in Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013, as during its term, at least 5 % to ensure sustainable urban development. One of its main drivers is improving the energy efficiency of European housing. However, it seems that this fund is only targeted at projects that envisage energy upgrading in buildings and constructions in use. What of abandoned buildings or disused infrastructure? It should also be noted that there are currently tax benefits for the construction of new dwellings but not for revitalisation. It is
therefore essential to broaden the aims and objectives. More than a quarter of Europe is urban land, which is one of Europe’s most urbanised continents. According to a report by the European Environment Agency, uncontrolled and uninterrupted urban sprawl threatens the social, economic and environmental balance by making it essential to change mindsets when talking about the growth of cities; Reuse or transformation of urbanised areas, revitalisation of abandoned areas.
Examples of initiatives that have successfully sought the re-use of abandoned buildings leading to increased tourist and economic attention are:
Ruin Pubs (Hungary)
Market of 7 km (Ukraine)
Reconstructed villages (Turkey)
Paisajista Park Duisberg North (Germany)
Minas converted into playgrounds (Romania)
PROPOSAL:
With the aim of meeting SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, we propose the following, which addresses a problem that could be solved at European level with greater efficiency:
Include in the European Regional Development Fund a point to consider revitalisation of abandoned buildings as part of urban development plans, in addition to the complementary drafting of a document presenting minimum criteria such as the location of the building or the degree of ruin. These criteria aim to set a threshold to define which types of buildings will revitalise.
The benefits of revitalising these buildings are numerous. Among them, the re-use of these structures is linked to sustainable development and culture by seeking to promote conservationism of historical legacy. Similarly, the reuse of disused materials is promoted by avoiding investment in the removal of rubble and damage from cities. It would even reduce the costs of new constructions as, in the case of abandoned buildings that are shown under conditions after a thorough study, they will lead to savings in time, materials and energy. At the business level, the image of businesses would be promoted and at the social level, housing could be facilitated for homeless people.
The above mentioned approach to the need for an in-depth study is justified in so far as many disadvantages may arise when it comes to renovating certain buildings. For example, the problem of ownership arises, i.e. the difficult location of the owners or their denial of possible works. Another obstacle may be adaptation to the existing structure or to the regulations in force at the time of revitalisation. It is therefore essential to have guidelines and criteria, i.e. requirements to ensure good practice and good use of public money.
Some NGOs such as ICOMOS have already sought to promote the conservation, protection and improvement of abandoned monuments and buildings, as more than 15 million buildings are completely abandoned in Europe alone.
In short, it is essential to try to highlight the importance of this practice in order to avoid the use of new undeveloped areas, the promotion of a sustainable alternative and the promotion of a new urban vision.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
GREEN SOLUTIONS FOR CLIMATE-RESILIENT EUROPEAN CITIES
INTRODUCTION:
Future scenarios indicate that European cities will suffer more frequently from heatwaves, droughts and floods. Cities, due to their abundant buildings, economic activity and high population rates, are particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events caused by climate change. Due to the fact that around 75 % of the European population lives in urban areas and is estimated to reach 83.7 % by 2050, the adaptation of cities to climate change is crucial to ensure citizens’ security, in addition to the essential services and economic activity they host. For this reason, it is essential to boost climate resilience, with the implementation of nature-based solutions (SbN), in European cities and thus equip cities with the resources and infrastructure needed to tackle climate change and its consequences.
DESCRIPTION:
A recent study by the European Environment Agency indicates that many European cities have difficulties in implementing climate change adaptation measures. This is mostly due to the fact that cities often lack the knowledge and funding needed to implement these projects. As a result, cities suffer from severe human and socio-economic impacts due to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. These impacts include the economic loss, estimated at EUR 446 billion between 1980-2019 and damage to public transport infrastructure. Extreme weather events also have a direct effect on public health. It is therefore essential that cities focus their efforts on both the implementation of mitigation policies and climate change adaptation actions. In
line with Sustainable Development Goal 11, and the global frameworks of the New Urban Agenda and Sendai for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the use of SbN is essential to prevent disasters, create more sustainable and climate-resilient cities. SbN, defined by the European Commission as “cost-effective solutions that deliver environmental and socio-economic benefits”, as well as contributing to the climate resilience of cities, protect biodiversity as well as ecosystem services. Its benefits are numerous and include improving the mental health of citizens, urban regeneration, strengthening sustainable energy use, and better water management in cities.
PROPOSAL:
Barcelona is a good example of a city that has implemented a SbN, the planting of trees in urban areas, to reduce the heat island effect. The creation of green corridors is an effective measure against this phenomenon, as they both reduce the temperature of the air and create shadows that serve as shelter for citizens during periods of high temperatures. In addition, Copenhagen has implemented its Cloudburst Management Plan, combining grey infrastructure measures with SbN, to increase its resilience to heavy rainfall. While the Danish city has invested in the construction of pipelines to transport excess water, it has also strategically established green areas and lakes that help prevent floods. However, as mentioned above, many European cities lack the resources, both financial and technical, to carry out these adaptation initiatives. For this
reason, we propose that the EU prioritise, if the case so permits, the implementation of SbN over the construction of grey infrastructure in cities. The prioritisation of SbN, in the context of adaptation to climate change, is essential because the results of the Commission’s assessment of the European strategy on adaptation to climate change indicate that Member States tend to respond to extreme events in a reactive way, rather than strategically developing adaptation plans. Moreover, personalised support is of the utmost importance to address the technical and financial constraints faced by cities. In a 2017 Covenant of Mayors survey, 87 % of signatories surveyed identified a lack of financial resources as a constraint on taking action against climate change. Finally, in order to accelerate climate adaptation in cities, the EU’s climate change adaptation strategy should set targets and indicators at local level in order to monitor the progress of cities in this area. There are currently no universal adaptation indicators; Some countries have established adaptation rates, but these are not translated into monitoring at local level.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
EUROPEAN INPUT TRANSPORT
CARD:
Transport is one of the cornerstones of further European integration, as it makes it easier to fulfil the freedom of movement of persons, services and goods throughout the Community. But they are not only a social advance, but they are presented as a key economic factor for the European Union as they contribute 9 % to gross value added.
The promotion of public transport has been identified as one of the key pillars of urban sustainability. In contrast to the private car, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions both in the operation and manufacture of vehicles, the decongestion of urban traffic, economic savings, time saving and the recovery of urban space for the citizen, by deducting private cars, are some of its great benefits.
DESCRIPTION:
International agreements on climate change require a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emission levels. More sustainable vehicles and less polluting fuels alone are unlikely to achieve the necessary emission reductions and will also not solve the problem of congestion in any way. The EU has decisively ruled out the route of restricting the mobility of people. The solution is therefore the way in which we move, i.e. in public transport (bus, metro and train) together with other forms of mobility (bicycles or VMPs) which will have to move to the use and possession of cars for private travel by European citizens.
There are two routes to this transition, which must be simultaneous. Discouraging the use of private vehicles — access restrictions, taxes, parking restrictions on public roads — and encouraging the use of public transport. The promotion of public transport requires the consolidation of an efficient, economical and useful transport network. The quality of public transport — age of vehicles, frequencies, speed, intermodality, maintenance and improvement of infrastructure — involves a multitude of actors and the ability of the European institutions to act is diluted among them, but it is also true that the EU must play a leading role on these issues as well.
Mobility of people therefore presents itself as a challenge to be addressed as a Union and, if we continue with totally different and uneven systems, the solution will come with a delay that we cannot afford.
PROPOSAL:
For the reasons set out above, the EU should promote a standardised intelligent transport card system for all public transport in the European Union that incentivises greater use of this type of sustainable mobility.
The European transport card would be a smart card allowing payment for and access to public transport throughout the European Union, including all public transport: Metro, train buses whether urban, metropolitan and interurban; And even bicycle lending services or VMPs. It is already common in many cities to find tariff vouchers which, on payment of a monthly fee, give access to all public transport (by access zone, or by user profiles with differentiated tariffs for students, pensioners, etc.).
Examples of model cards and systems to be followed are those of the Autonomous Community of Madrid, which, since its implementation, has facilitated and increased the use of public transport as well as promoting the improvement of the infrastructure offered and standardised discounts throughout the territory. The Netherlands also presents a more ambitious public transport system with OV Chipkaart, which is a wallet card to travel throughout the country that is offered to both nationals and tourists. The
existing European Health Insurance Card was presented as a hope for further harmonisation of the essential health sector across the European Union and we therefore believe that this proposal can be a further step towards standardising another key sector in our systems; Transport work. In
view of this, together with different public transport systems already in place, we propose the establishment of a “wallet” card where European citizens can charge their balance and provide access to all public transport throughout the European Union. In turn, in order to encourage the use of public transport, it is proposed to standardise discounts, both for students and for young people over the age of 65, etc. This proposal aims to introduce a new European standardisation, one of the main ways to deepen European integration, and to promote public transport. At the same time, this card contributes to the creation of more sustainable cities, reducing emissions, congestion in cities, increasing savings, and making it possible to restore urban space for the benefit of citizens.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
The pandemic kept us indoors and made work from home the new normal. People are happier, more productive, while carbon emissions showed a decline. If working from home would continue after the pandemic ends, the benefits would be greater for both the environment and the people. Not commuting to work would help people save time, time they can spend with family and friends. Better productivity means we can also switch to less working hours - the 4 day work week has shown to be a great success in trials that were carried in northen european countries. Not having to go to work also means people will use their cars less, making the traffic and pollution problem in many big cities like Bucharest, Romania (which has the worst traffic in Europe) a lesser issue. Working from home would also free a lot of office buildings, leaving room to transform them into housing and helping solve the housing problem in countries like the Netherlands. It would also make pollution from construction sites less of a problem and save money on building new houses, making homes available faster to the general population and also help preserve nature as no new land would be needed to build on.
To pollute as little as possible:
To increase the cost of fines for those who discard
— no tobacco (or less useable)
— farming more widely in larger areas.
• 07 October 2021
MEASURES TO REDUCE POLLUTION:
increase dizziness for those who discard waste on foot and do not comply with environmental standards;
be more officers to supervise towns and villages and apply sanctions;
planting more trees;
— introduce compulsory activities (involving both children in educational establishments and adults from state or private institutions) to clean up and beautif the localities in which they live;
to allocate a budget for practical, environmentally-friendly activities in schools to motivate children and love nature and protect the environment.
The European Union should create more incentives and actively incentive, encourage and fund the production of electricity from nuclear power plants.
If we want to ditch fossil fuels in the energy sector the EU and the rest of the world need to have a firm way of a never stopping form of production of electricity and right now nuclear energy is the solution and the best way to achieve that. The safety factor needs to be assured of course but with new reactors cases of meltdown or other similarly bad scenarios can be completely annulated.
And more, makes no sense shutting down nuclear power plants working fine right now just because they are nuclear because we replace them partiality with fossil fuels (willingly or not) because whether you like them or not they are a source of firm non-stopping power and we obviously need that.
Renewables alone can't fight the carbon-free future that we want in the short time we have. Nuclear energy can be the ally we need right now that can make a big enough difference in this situation. We (the EU and the rest of the world) just need to accept the help and need to encourage the development of new nuclear powerplants and defend the existing ones.
And if money is the problem we can reduce the costs of constructing new nuclear power plants by reducing and eliminating the giant pointless and useless piles of bureaucracy that is need to open a new plant because that´s one of the principal factors driving up the costs.
Implement a carbon tax where all polluting processes and activities would be taxed and increase the products prices and redistribute the profits to every citizens so it is sort of revenue-neutral globally. It would probably be a more efficient incentive to consume (and thus produce) less polluting products (compared to the carbon trading system which could still be complementary).
Hello! My name is Elizaveta, I am a citizen of the Russian Federation.
I am extremely concerned about the environmental situation in our world. Every day the state of the environment is rapidly deteriorating, which may soon lead to even more harmful consequences.
My suggestion for solving this problem is as follows. I believe that it is necessary to draw up a strategic plan, the result of which will be a complete rejection of the production and use of disposable plastic tableware. The refusal to use disposable plastic tableware is easily replaced by reusable tableware(glass, for example). At the moment, it is known that plastic can be recycled, but the quality of products from recycled raw materials is significantly reduced, which does not guarantee the safety of citizens' health. When glass can be recycled an unlimited number of times without loss of product quality.
Local rejection of plastic will not solve the problem. It seems to me that it should be solved through the legislative level of the entire world community. Only in this way will people solve the problem of preserving nature for future generations.
Undoubtedly, at the snap fingers, the refusal to buy and manufacture disposable tableware will not happen. There is a question about enterprises, and about the employment of people working at these plants, and about the raw materials already purchased. Factories can be rebuilt for the production of other goods, the same glassware, and employees can be provided with a retraining course so that they master the new canons of the production process.
I agree that all of the above requires considerable time, economic and other costs. But this is only a small price that we can pay now both for our future life and for the entire planet.
Thank you for your time!
Hello Elizaveta!
I certainly join you in your worries about the environmental and climate crisis, and for sure disposable plastic tableware should disappear. But unfortunately, I do not believe this would have any impact on the climate, although it would be better for wildlife, waste disposal and fossil fuels reserves.
I am glad to see we are thousands of young people caring about the future of this planet, nevertheless I am afraid we are losing our time with small steps and "small prices" when the clock is ticking and we should all be rethinking our whole social, political and economic system urgently, along with our daily habits.
Thank you for your idea and I hope this respsonse wasn't too aggressive, be sure I truly believe the world needs more people like you. In slightly more ambitious perharps, but that's just my own meaning.
Kind regards, greetings form Brussels
Incentivising remote work and teleworking as a way to reduce polution and to grow the small neighbourhood communities.
Installing drink water systems and making water free of charge would limit the amount of plastic pollution
Ban imported products out of season, regulate fashion and its production, tax paraffin, make trains cheaper, insulate houses, develop other eco-responsible materials, ban cars in the city, levy a tax on pollution (polluter pays principle), reduce working hours, change the organization of the CAP, protect biodiversity etc. More must be done!
Make glass bottles the standard throughout the Union. I consciously try to reduce my plastic usage as much as possible, however when I’m not at home and want to buy a water, it is only sold in plastic bottles. This could be changed by working towards a ban on single use plastic, specifically in the daily use. In a parallel manner, make the recycling of both glass and plastic bottles easier.
• 09 October 2021
Remove non-essential plastic packaging, promote the sale of products in Vrac and help local shops.
• 09 October 2021
Remove non-essential plastic packaging, promote the sale of products in Vrac and help local shops.
• 09 October 2021
Europe must focus on climate rather than the economy, encourage the purchase of something that has already been built, rather than giving preference to new purchases.
• 09 October 2021
If we want to tackle plastic pollution, then we should not only replace straws with bamboo and plastic cup, but also plastic cups, plates, etc. with bamboo or cardboard, which can then be reused!
Climate and biodiversity should have priority over other issues like economic or social ones because what we are losing now will impact the rest of mankind for the decennia to come, causing deep human, economic and sanitary crisises. Concretely: for every public and private activity sector, there should come an independant evaluation of the impact on the environment and accordingly to the results, the sector in question should be improved, remastered, or simply replaced by a green alternative. This implies:
*an eco-score based on science for all products and measures in the EU
*an environment-based economy (carbon taxes, green subsidies, degrowth)
*more and more prohibition of polluting systems, and investments in research and setting up alternatives
1. Ban plains
2. Campaign properly about the negative impacts of meat consumption whereas eating less meat or even not at all is actually better for your health (unlike clichés loud and most people still think)
3. Cut all money flow towards fossil fuels from the CEB and memberstates
4. Launch the Univeral Basic Income in the EU to make it possible not to have to overproduce just to survive and adapt offer to real demand (end of the consumption society)
5. Ban commercial advertising
6. Inform the citizens about the carbon footprint of every single product in the economy and adapt the prices to take that info into account and make it easier for the consumer to make aware choices
7. Support alternative independent systems like Fair Trade
Every single country willing to stay in the Union should countersign a values-treaty overrating the national laws, and in this treaty should figure the promise to respect the Paris Agreement. For any infringment, the memberstate should be judged and forced to pay a compensation and/or repare the damages. On top of this, every month delay on the objecties of the agreement should lead to a high fine with the money going to environmental NGO's/the EU to addres this problem, and the country should lose part of its rights in the Union. Europe shouldn't be just something you aggree to when it suits you, it's a common matter, just like our planet and climate are.
Renewables all countries.
Green jobs for youth.
Local shopping.
Sustainable development
sustainable farms.
Create more ecovillages
Nuclear power is a source of huge amounts of electricity. In terms of tonne of fuel used, nuclear energy is the most energy source. Few people know that nuclear energy can also be a source of very valuable elements called rare earths. They have a wide range of applications, including in electronics. The fission of uranium or other fissile elements gives rise to rare earths. Of course, they are radioactive, but they are relatively short, and stable isotopes of elements such as ruthenium can be obtained shortly. The recovery of rare earths from spent fuel can make us independent from countries with deposits of these elements. The possibility of producing valuable raw materials from nuclear power can contribute to improving public sentiment for the construction of nuclear power plants, which are the most effective means of combating CO2 emissions. I call on the EU authorities to start intensified work to recover these spent fuel elements. It is also worth setting up an appropriate education campaign to raise public awareness of this fact in order to increase support for nuclear energy.
We propose that the European Commission take a legislative initiative to create a standardised and uniform return system for reusable and recyclable single-use packaging throughout the European Union’s internal market. This collection system would focus mainly on liquid packaging whether made of plastic, cans, tetrabriks or glass and would be accompanied by a single European labelling that would allow the system to operate beyond national borders, achieving a single European market.
The system should be inspired by the German ‘pfand’ model, whereby the consumer would pay an additional cost for each package bought and then recovered when the packaging was returned to a machine from an approved collection point.
This proposal has the following advantages for the Union as a whole:
1. It makes it possible to establish a market unit in both the production and consumption of such recyclable or reusable packaging, while allowing for economies of scale for such packaging and joint management of packaging used at similar levels in all EU Member States, while avoiding unnecessary imbalances.
2. The system is already in place and there would be no need to develop new technology, simply to implement and standardise the one that already works in some countries.
3. Consumers would be actively involved in the recycling of the packaging they consume thanks to a new economic incentive, and this practice could also generate recycling habits for other types of products in the population.
These proposals have been created in the framework of the Forum x the Future of the European Union, a Team Europe initiative.
We propose to the European Commission to carry out a legislative initiative in order to create a standardized and homogeneous system for the return of reusable and recyclable packaging for the entire internal market of the European Union.
This collection system would be mainly focused on liquid containers, be they plastic, cans, tetrabriks or glass, and would be accompanied by a single European labelling that would allow the system to work beyond national borders, achieving an european market unity.
The system should be inspired by the German pfand (deposit) model whereby the consumer would pay an additional cost for each packaging purchased, which would later be recovered by returning said packaging to a machine from an authorized collection point.
This proposal has some advantages that for the Union as a whole:
1. It allows to establish a market unit both in the production and in the consumption of these recyclable or reusable packaging, allowing at the same time to establish economies of scale for them and a joint management of the package used at similar levels in all the member countries of the Union.
2. The system has already been created and it would not be necessary to develop new technology, simply apply and standardize what already works in some countries.
3. The consumer would be actively involved in recycling the packaging they consume thanks to a new economic incentive, and this practice could also generate recycling habits for other types of products in the population.
These proposals have been created within the framework of the Forum for the Future of the European Union, an initiative of Equipo Europa.
Overall, my leadership vision with my ideia consists in changing lives for the better through innovation in urban transportation and, therefore, protect the world environment.
Through a proactive human-centred approach, based on systematic public engagement in the decision-making process along with stakeholders, my Idea envisions a smart, innovative, and
sustainable mobility solution, i.e., Urban Air Mobility, in Lisbon,
Portugal. With roads critically congested, the airspace could be a potentially competitive alternative for urban movements. Imagine taking off and landing anywhere and anytime. Thus, urban air mobility appears as a revolutionary way to provide urban point-to-point connections for passengers, freight, and service providers (e.g., emergency responses, mobility service for disabled citizens, rescue operations, humanitarian missions, sustainable tourism, smart
agriculture, city accessibility, and so on,) using electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (“eVTOL”) vehicles. Moreover, UAM clusters a wide range brimming with strengths and opportunities that make it worthwhile, being the major ones the generation of innovative
opportunities for businesses and jobs, enhancement of citizen’s quality of life, and contribution to minimizing climate change.
In short, the approach used contains the potential to directly benefit cities, stakeholders involved in the urban mobility (i.e., the public authorities like the regional or local authorities and the national governments, resource supply stakeholders, shippers, transport operators, receivers,) and, of course, the urban mobility’s consumers (i.e., vulnerable road users, passenger vehicles, city residents and users, visitors, and tourists.)
This idea can be a solution to a current and complex problem that affects all of us, the urban mobility. With the world getting crowded, the increase in traffic on roads has deteriorated citizens' quality of life, worsen pollution and noise in cities. The rise in urbanistic movements leads to high resource consumption and environmental
degradation among other problems that need to be eased. Notably, an innovative and swift change in urban mobility needs to occur. I believe that making urban mobility simple, consistent, and human-centred, i.e., connecting directly to humanity and reflecting its values, pushes the world forward by changing how we travel in cities. On the other hand, this Idea serves to contribute to close the gap between the science community, the industry, and foremost, the public.
• 25 October 2021
In my view, measures should be organised to inform the public about the need for nuclear power stations, as there are many people who are wrong to think about this form of energy generation. Citizens in different countries could be encouraged to vote for parties or candidates to support the development of nuclear power plants, so that fossil fuels can gradually be fully replaced and renewable forms of energy (hydropower plants, wind turbines, solar panels) can also be introduced more easily.
Considering that Trees are the best and the cheapest Machines to Capture CO2 from the atmosphere, why not start a tree planting competition especially inside and around the big cities or around the high polluting factories? Planting a variety of fast-growing trees, like maples and oaks can contribute to the fight against climate change, cleans the air and lowers the temperatures in the summer. Given all these benefits why not invest more in such simple measures nature offers us?
Learn more to live with nature and in the environment to live in balance with nature
Have all pan European supermarkets and drug companies behave responsible in all of the e.u. less plastic, less packaging, more in store bottling and a standard recycling systems.
We should build up nuclear plant. That will produce electricity on a sunwhile way.
Protect nature through standards, use it without excessive and moderate use and benefit from its use in a number of sectors.
En mi opinión una buena manera de que las futuras generaciones sepan como cuidar al medio ambiente , sería que desde pequeños , mediante la educación inculcarles una serie de valores los cuales en un futuro les sirva para que puedan tener una buena relación con el medio ambiente ,una manera sería llevarlos de excursión a convivir en el medio ambiente .
• 18 November 2021
Reduce litter on beaches by putting more waste bins and more control on this issue. More vessels are also responsible for taking litter and pollution from the sea.
To improve the environment and reduce pollution, I think we should start with plastic but the solution is not to use paper as we would be cutting millions of trees and otherwise destroy the environment, and if paper that is at least recyclable and does not damage the environment is used.
We can live in harmony with nature while respecting the environment, try to reduce pollution by taking various measures such as radically cancelling the use of plastic and rewarding those carrying out these measures, cancelling activities at risk of causing major fires, avoiding unnecessary light expenditure and using more solar energy.
My idea is for all schools to place solar panels to produce renewable energy and reduce pollution.
• 18 November 2021
EAT less meat
Less Cars
Encourage companies to go green
Reduced plastic bags
Reuse
Recycle
Plant trees
sensitise kids from their birth
Live like Koh Lanta (return to a Savage life)
Reduce our energy depences
Use bike and not because
Buy secondary clothes
Build more eco houses/self-sufficient houses ( solar panels, garden..)
Educate children from the young age to take care of our planet
Stop light pollution
Halting climate change is impossible. Even we reach the Green Deal's goal of achieving zero pollution, Earths temperature will still be rising because, like every planet, Earth has a hot core, whose heat is slowly moving to the rest of the planet, because of entropy. Moreover, living organism produce heat, that also raises the planet's temperature. Therefore, unless someone's reply is enlighting enough, I consider anyone who stands for halting climate change an utopist.
We could raise public awareness through peaceful marches and try to include eco-friendly products in our everyday lives.
We could raise public awareness through peaceful marches and try to include eco-friendly products in our everyday lives.
Invest more in renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines or solar panels.
Educational systems should also inform us about climate change and ways the environment is affected by our different actions.
More ecological programs concerning climate change in Europian schools
Motivate europian citizens through social media to find ways to solve the climate change
What if we actually respected earth , our home ? We should try to use our bikes instead of having our parents driving us around , buy used clothes , recycle , make sure the heaters are off when the windows are open and turn off the lights when we don't need them.
Encourage the change of hunting areas for other uses, be they natural parks or animal shelters, create protected areas with long-term investment in those areas and prepare those areas for the survival of those animals.
Hello, good afternoon. I´m going to share my idea to improve the quality of life in countries of the European Union. First of all I would like in the future that people will going to live to the villages and those zones that are depopulated because in the future traditions will be lost, and second this would improve the quality of life because cities will not be so polluted (contamination of cars, industries etc) but I don´t like that people would industrialize the villages. For these idea the UE gobernment and the national govenments of each europen countries can give financial aids to families so they can go to live to villages and enjoy the countryside.
And my second idea is that I would like that futures energies will be renewable in all the territory and countries of Europe like removing all nuclear energy, combustion, petrol etc and introducing and putting more solar panels, wind energy etc. Thanks for read this and good afternoon. All the beast.
The use of public transport could be further promoted by improving the facilities and vehicles used (trains, buses, etc.).Better if vehicles become more spaced more people would use public transport and prevent them from using the car when it is not necessary. Another possible idea would be to improve communication and the state of some cycle lanes so that people can use it as an alternative mode of transport that is more environmentally friendly.
Shop wisely. Buy less plastic and bring a reusable shopping bag from your home
Trees provide oxygen so if everyone plant a tree we can save the world. They help save energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.For this reasons we must all help to save the planet
We can reuse the remains of our school materials for other years to reduce the production, which means less CO2 , by buying less material.
I believe we need to work towards enabling developing countries to industrialise and grow economically. But green. I know that it is complex. But it also helps the local economy in these countries. It would partly end the migration crisis and could even reduce CO2 emissions in these areas.
The fact that we need to cut down on carbon emittions is clear. One of the less-talked about possible solutions is switching to a plant based diet, free of meet. This might, at first glance, sound peculiar: How is it going to benefit the planet? What does it achieve in terms on diminishing carbon footprint? Well, it's been statistically shown that the livestock farming sector, which includes factory farms and animal breeding, accounts for much more of our carbon footprint compared to planes, buses and, in general, all transportation vehicles cobined! However, for the average citizen, such a dramatic change in their diet would cause their negative reaction against it. To prevent that, the European Nation as well as all countries in the globe should fund plant-based meat projects, thus making the transition from meat to meatless products frictionless. There are already several private companies in the world which do fund and experiment on these products making them as close to the original ones as possible. We should make an effort ourselves to find the pixel-perfect recipe for a meatless product.
In schools we could use the organic waste brought from the pupils’ home to make our own compost and serve to care for the garden, plants and trees in our courtyard. In this simple way, we get the waste out and we do not use chemical fertilisers for our garden. It is also a good way to save money and raise awareness among students.
I believe we should reduce the number of intermediaries between the producer and the consumer, save money and spend less fuel.
I look forward to hearing from you.
In institutes, excursions can be organised alongside marine cleaning associations in which diving and collecting plastics from the sea are carried out.
I believe that reusing school material like books or otherwise would be good to reduce the amount of CO2.
To prevent climate change from occurring and going further, I think we should avoid consuming a lot of meat from animals such as cows and pigs, as these expels methane and is polluting.
We should also not produce or buy plastic packaging as they end up in the sea and we are turning the sea into a landfill.
You should put machines like the vendors of ever, but they should give a small amount of money to introduce some kind of plastic. This would reduce the level of plastics thrown by soil or water. This could also help the most deprived, as they can get some money.
You should put machines like the vendors of ever, but they should give a small amount of money to introduce some kind of plastic. This would reduce the level of plastics thrown by soil or water. This could also help the most deprived, as they can get some money.
I believe we should reduce the number of intermediaries between the producer and the consumer, save money and spend less fuel.
I look forward to hearing from you.
You should put machines like the vendors of ever, but they should give a small amount of money to introduce some kind of plastic. This would reduce the level of plastics thrown by soil or water. This could also help the most deprived, as they can get some money.
I believe that in all big cities, organic waste collected in organic waste containers should be used to create compost that is used to pay for fields, this can help to reduce the amount of C02 produced by creating artificial fertiliser; I also believe that animal waste could be used to pay for crop fields and we could use something very polluting to reduce even if the amount of CO2 is slightly reduced.
The idea is to reduce CO2 by reducing plastics, reusing papers... By 2050, we want climate change to be neutral.
To date, the use of polluting substances is more than standardised, but we are not aware of what this normality is causing. The fact that the media, scientists, experts, industries are trying to solve these problems is a positive thing, but the causes of all of this are not really promoted to citizens, if they really become aware and in many cases we would like to raise awareness of what is happening with the greenhouse effect for example or what global warming brings us to change, which we have done will no longer change from one year to the next or thanks to 100 people, but if we all put a little on our side and we become aware of good habits over the years, the problems of climate change and pollution will not go further and the goals of the European Union will be met for a common good.
search for new less polluting materials and manufacturing processes to improve
We could use part of the European funds to create organisations for young people to come up with ideas and work together to end or reduce climate change. The funds could also be used to use technologies that do not pollute, but we all need to be involved.
To deliver this Green Deal project, I believe that more support from the population is needed, or something that makes them rethink that they do not care for the planet. Another serious way would be to impose small fines on people who do not recycle, thereby earning some money to boost projects that aim to curb climate change or to improve the methods by which CO2 emissions are slowing down.
What we could do for young people in the EU is, to use more public means or when we cannot use them, to share a car with other people like us, to use more means that do not use fossil fuels, and the latter is very good, as well as helping the environment, also helping your organisation.
Investments in wind energy production and solar panels
Taking into account that Trees are the best and cheapest machines to capture CO2 from the atmosphere, because not to launch a tree planting competition, especially within and around large cities or around highly polluting factories
I believe that the European Union should give some form of support or budget to incentivise people to put solar panels in their homes, this can help reduce energy consumption in a clean and renewable way and can help reduce energy dependency on some EU countries.
Based on the data or climate change can affect countries more than you think you do until they are no longer habitable, how will the EU deal with this and what measures will it take?
The planet is suffering a lot due to the consequences of years of pollution in the environment in countless ways. Nowadays the European Union and schools are trying to educate the young generation about this critical problem to avoid further damage. Since the next generation is working hard trying to keep the planet safe, Europe could start supporting and reinforcing the education of the young and adult generation about these issues and maybe the authorities could budget the new generation’s innovative and modern projects.
Europe, as a continent, is a close neighbor to Africa, which receives thousands of hours worth of sunlight a year, due to which it has the potential to produce milions of kilowatt hours. Maintaining a close relationship with such countries as Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and so on, would offer a potential solution to Europe’s energy problem, also while contributing to economic and political stability in these countries. Shouldn’t the European union Acknowledge that and support financially the construction of solar parks in that vicinity and infrastructure for power destribution?
Climate change is referred to as climate change caused directly or indirectly by human activities. It is a fact that the Earth’s climate is changing, with climate changes starting to run. Some of the consequences of this change are rising global average temperatures, rising water levels and extreme weather events. The European Union is proposing solutions and measures to delay this change and alleviate
the unpleasant consequences. But later or soon there will be new
needs such as:
a. Protection of state infrastructure, such as ports,
airports, bridges; b.
Modification of crops to make them more resilient to new conditions.
C. Creation of settlements with an artificial climate; d.
conditions for the transfer of populations.
Europe should establish frameworks that anticipate the
needs of each state, create economic conditions, appropriate know-how and inform citizens about the changes that are taking place.
How far have action been taken in this direction?
We the students of the 3 rd Lyceum of Argos propose to step up the European Union’s efforts to create better living conditions and we are willing to help as much as we can from our position, according to our knowledge and competences.
When you pour fresh water over the ice, it immediately freezes. If we could help the Antarctica and the Arctic in the winter time and build pipelines from Greenland, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan to Arctic, and from the south of Argentina to Antarctica, we could pour fresh water over the already formed ice to help it grow bigger every year in winter.
And if we could make the ozone layer thicker with releasing oxygen in to the upper layer of the atmosphere the ozone will form itself with the UV light.
With this actions we could slow down the rate of temperature increase, during the climate change until we become completely CO2 neutral.