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PTI Feb 25, 2015, 04.52PM IST

(Last week, the US had announced)

NEW DELHI: Concerned over high pollution level in the capital, European Union has directed its diplomats here to soon install air purifiers in their offices and residences.

Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to India Joao Cravinho said the decision has been taken keeping in mind the well-being of the EU staff here.

"We don't need to monitor the pollution level, the US is doing that... We don't need that... But we need to respond for the safety of our staff, the EU delegation living in the city here," Cravinho told PTI on the sidelines of the 7th EU-India Environment Forum here.

Last week, the US had announced its plans to expand air quality monitoring to some of its missions in several countries including India to help raise awareness about the dangers of pollution.

"We haven't bought them (purifiers) yet, but we have received instruction from our headquarters (in Brussels) to do so... And, our colleagues in delegation are doing market research study to find the best product," he said.

When asked if other European countries are also engaging in similar programmes, he said, "Many of them are doing that... Many are moving in that direction... But, each country is doing it from their own side, I do not decide that," he said.

The EU diplomat also expressed concern over a recent report that has put Delhi as "more polluted than Beijing".

"Seeing from statitics... Yes, it's a matter of deep concern... Two things are happening, two movements at the same time... Delhi is getting more polluted and Beijing is getting less polluted. Because in China they sought to address the issue, and they have implemented some policies and I hope it happens here in India as well," he added.

See the article here:
European Union to install air purifiers at its office, residences in Delhi

Belchatow Power Station, Europe's largest coal-fired plant. Photo: Reuters

The European Union will fail to meet an ambitious goal of significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 unless it takes more aggressive measures to limit the use of fossil fuels and adopts new environmental policies, according to a new report.

Although European countries are on track to meet, and even surpass, the goal of reducing 1990-level greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2020, existing policies are not robust enough to ensure that the 2050 targets are met, the European Environment Agency report said. Those targets, scientists have said, are critical to forestalling the most catastrophic effects of climate change, which are linked to carbon emissions caused by human activity.

"The level of ambition of environmental policies currently in place to reduce environmental pressures may not enable Europe to achieve long-term environmental goals, such as the 2050 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80-95 per cent," the report said.

The report also noted that transportation continues to account for a quarter of all carbon emissions within the EU, and reducing those by 60 per cent by 2050 will require "significant additional measures."

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The report, which will formally be released on Tuesday, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, and is produced every five years to assess how the Union is progressing toward its environmental goals and to inform European policy. It will be presented to the European Commission and debated in the European Parliament later this month.

The findings are significant because Europeans have taken a lead role in seeking to avert the worst effects of climate change, in some cases putting aside their own economic prospects and political pressures to enact policies that could also serve as models for other countries and regions. The EU's failure to achieve its goals could discourage efforts by more reluctant nations, like China and India, and could loom large later this year as nations gather in Paris to discuss a global climate treaty.

Hans Bruyninckx, the executive director of the European Environment Agency, characterised the report as an alarming call that provides the 28 EU member states with a fresh opportunity to set a global example.

"Although we have colored the outlook red, it doesn't have to be red," Bruyninckx said. He named increased energy efficiency, ecological innovation and improvements to transportation systems as potential areas in which Europeans could adjust their policies to meet their long-term goals.

The rest is here:
Europe unlikely to meet 2050 climate goal, study finds

STOCKHOLM The European Union has formally submitted its planned contribution to a U.N. climate pact, pledging to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030.

The cuts are relative to 1990 levels. The EU's emissions since then are already down by almost 20 percent.

The EU is the second party to submit a climate target to the U.N., after Switzerland. Only a handful of other countries are expected to meet an end-of-March deadline to submit targets.

Others, including India and China are likely going to need more time. All countries are supposed to present targets for a new global climate agreement that governments plan to adopt in Paris in December.

Scientists say rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions are a key driver of global warming.

Continue reading here:
European Union submits plan to reduce emissions by 40 percent to UN ahead of Paris pact

Ode To Joy (EESC Video Challenge 2015) - Svilena Georgieva and Vocal Group "Do Re Mi"
On the video we share with you the opportunities that the European Union has provided us for our development. "Europe in Harmony" My opinion is that all of the people in the EU should live...

By: Svilena Georgieva

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Ode To Joy (EESC Video Challenge 2015) - Svilena Georgieva and Vocal Group "Do Re Mi" - Video

The Gender Pay Gap : the situation today
In 1975, the European Union directive on Equal Pay was passed. 40 years later, Mark Smith, researcher and professor at Grenoble Ecole de Management, alongside researchers from Brighton ...

By: Grenoble Ecole de Management

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The Gender Pay Gap : the situation today - Video