European hub meeting

On February 24th the second Planetary Health European Hub meeting took place. Over 29 organizations and institutions participated. The meeting opened with a recap of the January convening followed by a group discussion regarding what organizations are looking for from this Hub. Organizations then broke out into four groups based on the most popular domains of interest from the post-January convening survey, including: 1)Research, 2) Education, 3) Implementation (movement building), and 4) Implementation (governance/policy). These break out sessions focused on concrete actions and next steps. A next Hub meeting is scheduled to take place early April 2022.

FRDO-CFDD organized a webinar on the stakes of the  EU-AU Summit 2022 (recordings available)

In prelude of the Europe-Africa week, the Belgium Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FRDO-CFDD) organized a webinar on the stakes of the  EU-AU Summit 2022 conference. Representatives of the AU, the EU, the Belgian government and other experts explained the importance of this conference that will take place on 17-18 February 2022. The webinar recordings can be found here

Latest publication: Circular Economy: Leveraging a Sustainable Transformation

The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) issued a statement in 2021, which is now translated in English.

Despite its already established high leverage effect and the fact that some progress1 has already been made here, the circular economy has yet to take the spotlight in the political sphere. A strategic approach to circularity is urgently needed and should be developed, managed and implemented in a cross-ministerial capacity in line with efforts at EU level and together with international partner nations.

Against this backdrop the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) recommends organising the transition to circularity via a new, cross-ministerial governance mechanism coordinated by the German Federal Chancellery. An additional thirteen other recommendations – ranging from the need for social safeguarding instruments or expanding education and research – are part of the RNE’s statement.

Joint EEAC & NESC Webinar: Wellbeing: a new yardstick for economic performance and welfare (recodings available)

The EEAC Network, together with the National Economic and Social Council (NESC), organized the joint webinar “Wellbeing: a new yardstick for economic performance and welfare”. The webinar took place on February 15th 2022. Please click HERE to consult the programme. Click HERE to view the session recordings.

A new yardstick
GDP growth has been a yardstick for economic performance and welfare and is considered essential for achieving a number of key objectives, including eradication of extreme poverty and adequate financing of social programmes. However there is growing consensus that it is limited in its ability to capture many critical dimensions of human life.

There has therefore been a shift internationally to look beyond GDP, to focus on measures that capture people’s living conditions and quality of life, as well as the state of the environment. Governments are increasingly utilising a well-being approach for policy prioritisation, policy making and evaluation. Such a well-being approach can reframe a Government’s approach to understanding, measuring and contributing to social and environmental progress.

The webinar
The joint EEAC-NESC webinar focused on this international shift towards a well-being approach to policy making. Specifically, the webinar focused on A) the added value of the well-being approach, B) Buy-in to the well-being approach, and C) implementing a well-being framework and the barriers faced.

Speakers
We had contributions from a variety of international policy makers and scientists, including Carrie Exton, Head of Well-Being Data Insights and Policy Practice, OECD, Minna Halme, Professor of Sustainability Management, Aalto University School of Business/ Finnish Expert Panel for Sustainable Development, and Jennifer Wallace, Director, Carnegie UK.

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Discussing Europe’s sustainability challenges

Today, (February 2nd 2022) The EEAC Network, together with the European Sustainable Development Network (ESDN), hosted a collegial exchange with representatives of the Trio Presidency (France, The Czech Republic, Sweden) and the European Commission to discuss Europe’s sustainability challenges.

Latest publication: Impetus for an inclusive and networked multilateralism for sustainable development

To mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) in 2020, UN Secretary[1]General António Guterres published the ‘Our Common Agenda’ report. A core theme of the report is greater solidarity between present and future generations – at the national level and in a multilateral system –aimed at helping to overcome complex global crises that already exist and prevent new ones from arising, while in general  contributing to a more equitable world that is fit for the future.

The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) recommends that the new Federal Government in Germany combine the strengthening of multilateralism referred to in the German Coalition Agreement with the objectives of social-ecological transformation at the global level and, to do so, adopt many of the UN Secretary General’s proposals as its own.

In the its statement, the RNE furthermore sets out, on the basis of the Our Common Agenda report, concrete recommendations for action on implementing the agenda in Germany,  approaches for strengthening multilateralism in the United Nations and possible courses of action for enhancing governance of the global commons. Read More