Environment, peace, and global governance

1- Nordic Climate Action and the Road to COP29 

The Nordic Co-Operation is aiming not only at transforming the Nordic region but also providing a blueprint for the world. Over 50 initiatives were presented in the Nordic Pavilion, continuing towards COP29. They emphasized coordination and economic measures for effective adaptation, sharing examples of innovative and effective climate finance. The governments also stressed the need for sustainable food systems as part of the climate agenda. 

2- The Road to COP 29 after COP28’s Epilogue 

The 28th UNFCCC continued the operationalization of the Fund on Loss and Damage and agreed on a Global Goal on Adaptation. Another outcome is the Global Stocktake, a mandated report of global action every five years, setting the parameters for the new National Determined Contributions. At COP 29, parties are expected to agree on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance., and to continue work on tripling the production of renewable energy. 

3- European Union (EU) climate policies are in peril as the parliament faces a shift to the right

 Polls predict that the European Parliament’s far-right groups could be the biggest bloc after June’s election, putting stress on the Green Deal, which is trying to reach a 90% emissions reduction target for 2040. The Commission's recent statements suggest backtracking away from environmentalism for political reasons, as the opposition wants to abolish the Green Deal. 

4- The EU Green Deal is going strong 

The EU is now stressing its circular economy policy to make the union both more competitive and cleaner, as it will reduce pressures on natural resources, generate sustainable growth and employment, being essential for reaching the EU 2050 climate neutrality goal and stopping biodiversity loss. The goal is to shift away from a “take-make-use- dispose” approach to a “regenerative growth” model to keep resource use within planetary limits. 

5- The EU council and Parliament made a deal to improve the EU’s green industry 

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on the regulation establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology products manufacturing, better known as the „net-zero industry act‟. It would increase the industrial deployment of net-zero technologies and take back the lead on the global scene for clean technologies, by simplifying permit-granting procedures and supporting strategic projects. 

6- The European Environment Agency adapted its strategy to manage climate risks 

In a recent survey, most Europeans see climate change as a very serious problem, and the Commission conducted the first European Climate Risk Assessment through the EEA. The resulting action plan focuses on: Improved governance and international cooperation on climate resilience; Climate education at the highest levels of government and business; Infrastructure planning that embeds an understanding of climate risk; Linking Climate Change to policy planning (supporting a better spatial planning in EU countries); embedding climate risks in planning and maintaining critical infrastructure; and linking EU-level solidarity mechanisms with adequate national resilience measures.