WRI Europe

The felt temperature in Istanbul this year reached 45 °C. The exhausts of the busy traffic of this metropole make the heat island effect worse. If current emission trends continue, demand for air conditioning will increase by 70%.   The climate crisis and related extreme temperatures are daunting and can have deeper consequences for our lives. But cities like Istanbul are looking at solutions and ensuring that nature is used as a solution to protect its citizens and future generations.    Read more in our article about how cities in Europe are coping and what national governments need to do before next summer:  https://bit.ly/3Ou40aS #UrbanHeat #CoolCities #WatchYourTemperature #ClimateSolutions #Istanbul #Turkey #Heatwave

The UK’s Climate Change Committee's recommendation on the Seventh Carbon Budget is here, and food and agriculture are getting the attention they deserve.   The new report names dietary shifts as essential to meeting the UK’s climate targets. The numbers tell the story:   📉 Dietary Change Targets: 25% reduction in meat consumption by 2040 (40% by 2050 for red meat) 20% reduction in dairy by 2035 38% reduction in UK cattle & sheep numbers by 2050    Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eSswkZjr 🚜 Farmer Transition & Land Use: A shift away from livestock means freeing up land for reforestation/restoration, but farmers can't be left behind in the process. The report calls for financial incentives and policy support to help farmers diversify income streams, and implement low-carbon farming practices like methane reducing feed and precision agriculture.   📌 A Big Bet on the Future: While this budget assumes a modest drop in agricultural emissions in the near term, it expects much bigger cuts coming in the 2040s. That means the groundwork for these changes needs to start now. Yet awareness of food’s climate impact remains low, and affordability of alternatives is still a barrier.   This isn’t just about cutting emissions—it’s about reshaping the food system in a way that works for farmers, consumer health, and the planet. But execution will determine whether this is a smooth transition—or a last-minute scramble.   What will it take to make this shift work for everyone?

Today, the European Commission shared its Clean Industrial Deal, an ambitious plan to help industries cut pollution, use more clean energy, and stimulate new green technologies. While the deal sets the right priorities, and it confirms the EU’s target to cut GHG emissions with 90% (compared to 1990), it has critical gaps.     For example, it doesn’t focus enough on saving energy and materials, which is essential to stay within the planet’s limits whilst bolstering innovation and competitiveness. It also opens the door for revising or delaying the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (#CBAM), which is an already agreed tool to ensure imported goods meet EU climate standards. This could create uncertainty for businesses and take away incentives to clean up production.     The Clean Industrial Deal also depends on the speed of financial instruments, such as the 100 billion euro in new funding, being available and able to crowd in more funding. The Commission is right to emphasize public and private procurement to drive a low-carbon industry. Strong sustainability criteria in EU contracts and private sector incentives will boost demand for clean tech.    This is a pivotal moment for the EU to take a lead in climate action. This will also be clear by the summer when the EU should present its climate plan – or #NDC - to cut emissions by 70-75% by 2035. Read our full statement here: https://bit.ly/43ei0xV #CleanIndustrialDeal #EU #Brussels #Climate #Industries World Resources Institute #EuropeanClimateLaw Systems Transformation Hub

Agriculture has already consumed 40% of Earth’s land surface. Now, rising demand for food, fuel, and fibre directly competes with biodiversity and climate imperatives to protect 30% of land and waters and restore 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.    As competition over land intensifies, historical inequities deepen. The largest one per cent of farms now controls 70 per cent of global farmland.    There are solutions, but we need to ensure that these solutions are not siloed, or they can create unintended consequences.    Understand more about the land use struggles and solutions in this amazing article written by Crystal Davis, Global Director of the Food, Land & Water Program at World Resources Institute, in the Alliance magazine: https://bit.ly/3EMYNZV   Illustration by artist Saba Taghvai #LandUse #Agriculture #FarmLand #Farm Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) WRI Food

Do you need any good news today? Come with us >>> Countries around the globe have six opportunities to ditch fossil fuels and move towards clean and renewable energy.    One of these opportunities is in investments. In 2024, global investments in the energy transition surpassed 2 trillion dollars for the first time, with electric transport, clean energy and grid infrastructure making up the largest share. And in Europe alone, the EU Green Deal will mobilize an estimated 390 billion euros annually for decarbonizing the economy through the energy sector.     Check out here another five opportunities: https://bit.ly/4k57sax #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #FossilFuelFree #Investments #ClimateAction #EUGreenDeal #GlobalEnergyShift #DecarbonizeNow

The European Commission just published its vision for food and farming through 2040. The big shift? A move from penalties to incentives.   Here’s the key takeaways: 🔹 Carrots over sticks: The new plan shifts towards rewarding farmers for sustainable practices rather than penalizing them non-compliance, arguing that less administrative burden can help fuel innovation. 🔹 Consumer-driven change: While the EU wants “shorter supply chains” for consumers there’s no real push for more plant-forward diets (and lower demand for dairy and meat), neglecting a key lever of transformation to address public health and environmental concerns. 🔹 Food chain fairness: EU farmers argue they’re being squeezed on prices. The Commission wants to track supply chain margins more closely to ensure European farmers can remain competitive and earn fair livelihoods. 🔹 Less reliance on imports: A push for EU-grown plant proteins and lower-carbon fertilizers signals an effort to reduce reliance on imports. While farm-level incentives are critical, without consumer-side measures to shift demand towards more sustainable diets we risk an incomplete solution. Anne Bordier Yntema, Director of Food Initiatives at World Resources Institute weighs in below ⬇️ What do you think of the plan? Read more at: https://lnkd.in/e_UNK5jw #SustainableFood #DeliciousClimateAction #Coolfood #EU #FoodPolicy #AgPolicy

Are you passionate about finance and making a positive impact? Join us as an Assistant Accountant and support our mission to create a sustainable future for people and the planet! In this role, you’ll: ✅ Assist with financial reconciliations, expense processing, and payroll. ✅ Support project accounting and compliance with European regulations. ✅ Collaborate with a global team dedicated to climate action and sustainability. Ready to make a difference? Apply today and be part of a team turning big ideas into action! 🌟 👉 Apply today: https://lnkd.in/ejWeYnxS #FinanceJobs #Sustainability #Accounting #ClimateAction #TheHague #HybridWork #JoinOurTeam #MakeAnImpact

If the high seas are international waters beyond any country's control, how can marine carbon removal be governed in these areas? Glad you are asking the same. The first thing you need to know is that since no single country controls the high seas, international laws and treaties, like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the London Protocol are used to regulate activities there. Nowadays, marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) projects in the high seas are governed by a patchwork of international agreements, which focus on preventing harm to the ocean but don’t fully account for the potential benefits. For example, some treaties prioritise small-scale scientific research over large-scale or commercial mCDR activities. The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty, once in force, could introduce stricter environmental impact assessments for marine carbon dioxide removal projects in the high seas. Understand better the complexities of marine carbon removal and how it can be responsibly governed in the high seas, dive deeper into the topic: https://bit.ly/4184NE9

🗑️ Yesterday, the EU Parliament and Council agreed to the first-ever, legally mandated EU-level targets to reduce food loss and waste. 🥖 Member States will need to cut food waste at the retailer and consumer levels by 30% and reduce food losses from processing and manufacturing by 10% by 2030 (compared to 2021-2023). 📈 This is a significant development that sets a new bar for action. As the world’s first ever legally binding food waste targets, these are not just goals or aims which countries can easily miss. However, additional action will be needed to hit international commitments. WRI's Director of Food Loss and Waste, Liz Goodwin weighs in ⬇️

Do you consider yourself an expert on consumer food waste? Or do you work in food retail? WRI is developing a practical guide to help retailers support customers in wasting less food at home. To ensure this playbook is grounded in real-world feasibility, we’re seeking your expertise! We’ve reviewed the latest evidence on consumer behavior and food waste reduction, and now we need food retail professionals and academics to evaluate these strategies. The survey takes just 5–10 minutes and asks you to rank 10 behavior change techniques based on their feasibility and effectiveness in a retail setting. Your input will help shape effective, actionable solutions! Deadline is FRIDAY, Feb 28: https://lnkd.in/eTjqZvtt #FoodWaste #Sustainability #Retail #ConsumerBehavior #Survey #WRI