Green Week opens in the EU!

Green Week has opened! Follow some of the updates by someone who's actually doing a presentation there (it's on the role of cities and regions to tackle climate change).

“Past lessons, future challenges” is the overall title of this year’s Green Week organised from 12 to 15 June in Brussels and was also the topic of the first high-level opening session this morning.

Commission President Barroso started the session with a remarkably optimistic evaluation of the recent G8-meeting and a positive picture of EU environmental policies. The fact that the Portuguese Commission President was present for the first time ever in Green Week is probably a good indication that in the last year there has been a serious shift in thinking within the European Commission. The Barroso commission which started its mandate under the banner of competitiveness and economic growth has clearly opened its eyes to the challenge of global warming, although its “overarching” strategy, the sustainable development strategy, has not made too much progress. Mr Barroso still has a long way to go if he wants to move from Kyoto to Johannesburg.

SustainaBee says: Great! I hope ideas are plentiful and actions are initiated there! With the (relatively) positive G8 outcome the contents of the Green Week will have received some international backing.