Ecology

How will the EU’s 2030 decisions influence the global fight against climate change.

The EU needs a common vision for its energy future. A shift towards renewable energy sources will increase security of supply and foster the competitiveness and sustainability of the economy.

With its 2050 Roadmaps the European Union is setting out a plan to meet the long-term target of reducing emissions by 80 to 95% by 2050 and is exploring routes towards a decarbonised energy system. All the scenarios of the European Commission indicate a growing share of renewables. A strong growth of renewable energy is described as a 'no regrets' option. A main challenge today is to ensure that strong growth in renewable energy continues after 2020 when the current renewables framework with binding targets expires.

This article examines how German environmental policymaking over the last 40 years transformed Europe’s economic engine into the international driver of green growth.

All around the world, mining has led to resettlements of the local population, drinking water contamination by cyanide spillages, large reduction of farmland, inadequate compensation paid by mining companies, and waste dumps near resettled villages result in health problems and the loss of traditional jobs such as agriculture and pastoral activities at the place of extraction.

On 2 February 2011, the European Commission presented an update to its Raw Materials Strategy from 2008. What are the practical implications of this European strategy, especially for resource rich developing countries around the world?

Natural resources form a huge part of the wealth of developing countries. However, that is only a potential wealth for the people.

Two years after Fukushima, global nuclear power generation continues to decline. If it were not for the World Nuclear Industry Status Report we probably would not know.

Buen Vivir is a Latin American concept which can be understood in three differing ways, but mainly as a critique to the Western way of development. The equivalent school of thoughts in Europe is based on the, the Green New Deal, which proposes a strategy to confront the challenges of global warming, finite resources and etc. Despite this connection, the Green New Deal it is not a goal in itself, it is just a tool, differing from a political philosophy like Buen Vivir.

Buen Vivir is a criticism of what could be described as an ideology or cultural aspect of development. This paper will briefly touch upon the three different interpretations of the complex Latin American concept of Buen Vivir and then compare it to the European New Green Deal.