Brussels, 14 March 2008 - European leaders have missed another opportunity to take the tough action necessary to avert dangerous climate change, warned Friends of the Earth Europe today as the Spring Summit of the European Council closed in Brussels.
Brussels (Belgium), 11 March - Untested and potentially hazardous manufactured nanomaterials can be found in food, food packaging and other products on supermarket shelves in the European Union, according to a new report released today by Friends of the Earth Europe.
'Out of the laboratory and on to our plates: Nanotechnology in food and agriculture' [1] reveals that despite concerns about the toxicity risks of nanomaterials, consumers are unknowingly ingesting them because regulators are struggling to keep pace with their rapidly expanding use.
Brussels, February 27 - A Europe-wide climate campaign launched today by Friends of the Earth Europe and the Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke aims to get governments and the European Union to commit to annual cuts in emissions to fight climate change.
The Big Ask brings together Friends of the Earth groups from 17 European countries [1] each of which is asking its government to introduce legally binding annual emission cuts. Together they are asking the European Union to force all member states to cut their emissions year-on-year.
Brussels, 25 February - A new map with details of 50 environmentally damaging and economically dubious infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe was launched by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in Brussels today [1]. Based on the most extensive investigation to date, the map entitled 'Cohesion or Collision?' shows controversial projects with a total cost of EUR 22 billion. The projects are either already financed, or planned to be financed, by EU structural and cohesion funds and/or the European Investment Bank (EIB) [2].
Brussels, 21 February - Environmental groups BirdLife International, EEB, Friends of the Earth and Transport and Environment, welcome UK transport secretary Ruth Kelly's announcement that the UK will initiate a wide ranging review of biofuel production. The green groups expressed their hope that other member states will engage in this review and that it will lead to a re-think of the EU's 10 per cent biofuel target proposed under the Renewables Directive [1].
Brussels, 21 February - At today's opening of the 6th European Business Summit in Brussels, environment campaigners accused companies involved in the event, titled 'Greening the economy', of being anything but green themselves. With an action and exhibition [1], Friends of the Earth Europe, Corporate Europe Observatory and Transnational Institute exposed the greenwashing practices of the businesses taking part.
Brussels, February 14 - A new study, released today [1], shows that the proposed binding minimum EU recycling targets of 50 per cent for municipal waste [2] by 2020, currently discussed by the European Parliament, could save emissions equivalent to more than 89 million tonnes (mt) of CO2 equivalent per year. This is equivalent to taking 31 million cars off the road. The study builds on a UK report [3] which found that most studies showed that recycling was better for the climate than incineration.
Brussels (Belgium), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Lagos (Nigeria), February 13 - Genetically Modified (GM) crops have led to a massive increase in pesticide use and have failed to increase yields or tackle world hunger and poverty, a new report by Friends of the Earth reveals today. [1] The report coincides with the annual release of biotech industry figures on GM crop cultivation around the world. [2]
Brussels, 11 February, 2008 - Palm oil production for food and agrofuels is resulting in widespread human rights abuses in Indonesia according to a report released today by a coalition of international environmental groups [1]. Losing Ground exposes the huge social problems being fuelled by EU targets to increase the use of agrofuels (often called biofuels) in transport. The report follows new research released last week which revealed that converting peatlands for palm oil in Indonesia releases 423 times more carbon than the annual savings from replacing fossil fuels. [2]
Brussels, 23 January 2008 - As the European Commission today revealed its proposals for a new energy package [1] Friends of the Earth Europe warned that plans to cut the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by only 20 percent will not be sufficient to avert dangerous climate change. The environment group says the Commission has backtracked on its position at international climate negotiations just weeks ago and calls on the Parliament and the Council of Ministers to dramatically strengthen the target.