Day: August 19, 2020

The latest contribution on a Green Recovery

Early August, The Dutch Council for the Environment and Infrastructure (Rli) published it’s advisory letter entitled ‘Green Recovery’. In this letter the Council discusses the concurrence of economic recovery policy and the transition towards a sustainable society, which will have an important impact on the choices to be made. Among others things, the Council argues in favour of a green recovery from the corona crisis, in which economy, employment and a sustainable physical environment go hand in hand. According to the Council, increasing the sustainability of the economy and physical environment is, as yet, not adequately incorporated into considerations about economic recovery policy. Furthermore, the Council offers an assessment framework that can help policymakers and political parties in designing green recovery policy, when drafting election manifestos or drawing up the next Coalition Agreement. The Council also presented numerous concrete suggestions for green recovery measures.

This advisory letter by the Dutch Rli, is one of many contributions made by advisory bodies on the Covid-19 crisis and the issue of a Green Recovery. For the other publications visit the EEAC Network’s special Covid-19 & Green Recovery page.

Latest publication: Using the CO2 budget to meet the Paris climate targets

In this chapter of the Environmental Report 2020, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) exemplifies how the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement can be translated into a national CO2 budget that can serve as a yardstick for future national climate policy.

In this chapter the SRU recommends that the Federal Government should set a German CO2 budget compatible with the Paris Agreement and tighten the climate targets accordingly. The budget should not replace existing targets, SRU argues, but shouldserve as an overarching basis for assessment. At the same time, it is urgently necessary to implement measures that will pave the way to climate neutrality, for example by accelerating the expansion of renewable energies.Only in this way can the use of fossil resources be quickly brought to an end. In order to keep within budget, progress on reductions must be regularly reviewed and measures must be continuously refined, the council stated in this chapter f the Environmental Report 2020. Read More