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Regenerative development and design: improving governance, innovation and planetary health
Humans have pushed several planetary boundaries out of their safe operating space and inequalities within and between countries are rising… Our current societal and environmental challenges require a meta-response. This is what Regenerative Development and Design (RDD) aims to bring.
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Giving back to nature more than we take away
As part of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Federal Public Service for Public Health, Food Chain Safety and the Environment organized a High-Level event on the crucial role of nature and biodiversity in building a sustainable future. Entitled “Regenerative development for transformative change”, the event, which took place in Brussels on April 11, was built around a central message: “Giving back to nature more than we take away”.
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Enhancing collaboration at European Union borders
Officers from customs, animal and plant health authorities, and environmental authorities convened in Brussels on 14 March for an event focusing on improving border controls for Invasive Alien Species. Effective border controls are a key element in preventing their introduction into the European Union. This event was jointly organised by the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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UN and EU presidency share the same priorities at UNEA-6
From 26 February to 1 March, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the world’s highest-level decision-making body for environment, met in Nairobi, Kenya. This sixth session (UNEA-6) envisaged how multilateral actions can help tackle the triple crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
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The EU’s ambitions in Samarkand op de COP14 CMS
From 12 to 17 February, the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) was held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. At this conference, the Belgian Presidency had an important role to play: to shape the discussions on behalf of the EU to promote the implementation of the CMS and give concrete form to the historic agreement in favour of biodiversity, reached in December 2022 during the 15th COP to the Convention on Biological diversity (CBD COP15).
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Everything can change with the introduction of one illegal exotic species!
The new awareness campaign for travellers
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Invasive alien species – The traveller awareness campaign
A silent invasion: invasive alien species Red-vented bulbul, Egyptian goose, Amur sleeper, broomsedge bluestem, these names probably do not mean anything to you… Still, they are among the 88 invasive alien species of animals and plants that are regulated by the European Union. Despite of their pleasant names, those species represent an important threat to our biodiversity and the ecosystems which we live in.
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Biodiversity, victim of fast fashion!
The world of fashion, with its big names, its catwalks and its designers, is still a dream. This sector remains associated with seduction, beauty and creativity. And yet, the other side of the picture is gloomier. The industry is increasingly criticised for its environmental impacts and unacceptable working conditions. Overconsumption and large-scale pollution make the textile sector one of the most polluting in the world.
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Save biodiversity by eating better
Our food choices have significant effects on biodiversity and ecosystems, but also on our health. Among other things, intensive meat production is responsible for the destruction of many ecosystems around the world and excessive meat consumption is a source of various diseases. Yet demand is growing on an increasingly populated planet with limited natural resources. As individuals, do we have a role to play in mitigating this trend in a globalised world? The answer is yes!
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A very meaty diet: what consequences for biodiversity?
Did you know that, in the European Union, the food industry is the main cause of environmental damage, followed by housing and mobility?[1] Although many consumers are aware of this, we tend to underestimate the effects of our eating habits on the environment.[2] While this is not good news, it does mean that our choices can make a real difference. But can we really protect biodiversity at mealtimes?
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Unravelling the link between trafficking in sea turtles and plastic pollution
Every year thousands of turtles return to their birthplace on the beaches of the South Pacific to lay their eggs. These include the Olive Ridley, Pacific Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles. While their grace, agility and speed delight and surprise at sea, on the beaches they are slow and vulnerable. Some species take 20 years to reach their reproductive age.
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A Happy New Year 2019 focused on biodiversity!
Is the year-end holiday season behind you? No more crazy shopping for gifts, no more hearty meals… until next year! As this period is behind us, let’s now take the time to ask ourselves what a celebration such as Christmas represents in terms of impact on biodiversity. And most importantly, what can we do to reduce our footprint during the holidays, whatever they may be?
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Staying fashionable and respecting biodiversity
The sales have arrived! The shelves are packed with bargains and everyone wants a new outfit. But what about the impact of fast fashion on biodiversity? Here we explained how textile production presents a threat to a large number of species. The good news is that you can remain fashionable without causing them too much harm.
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Visiting the sales without selling out the environment
The sales are back and are a wonderful opportunity to bag a bargain whilst pondering our consumption practices. A lot is said about food waste, but textile waste is a worrying reality for biodiversity.
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Taking care of ourselves without damaging biodiversity
We like taking care of ourselves. Every day, we use care products such as soap, shower gels, antiperspirants, make-up removers, shampoos, moisturizing creams, toothpaste and perfume. Altogether, each Belgian uses an average of 18 grams of cosmetic products per day. But what we think is good for us is not necessarily good for biodiversity.
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Shrimp at will : doom for biodiversity
Shrimp, scampi or prawns have long been rare, refined and expensive. But nowadays, their consumption has skyrocketed; in the world, it is estimated that by 2023, about 6 million tons of shrimp per year will be consumed! In the last 20 years, the production has been multiplied by 9. A boom that severely damages biodiversity.
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Worried experts at the bedside of biodiversity
In three years, 550 volunteer experts from 100 countries have compiled 10,000 scientific publications, supplemented by statistical data and an inventory of local traditional knowledge. The aim of this huge work coordinated by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was to provide global decision-makers with five reports on the state of global biodiversity.
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No cocoa, no chocolate…
Once a casual, festive and sometimes even luxurious dish, chocolate is now part of our daily eating habits. A pleasure for the taste buds and morale but to which biodiversity pays a heavy price.
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Overexpoitation: a real threat to biodiversity
Biodiversity consists of an incredible resource in food and raw material for more than 7 billion of human beings. Sadly, we often forget that its resources are limited… Most ecosystems that provide them aren’t exploited in a sustainable manner; they are overexploited.
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Noise pollution: a danger for cetaceans
Maritime traffic, sonars, oil drilling, gas extraction, offshore wind farms… The sea is no more an ocean of silence. To the point that noise pollution now represents a serious threat to cetaceans that use sounds to communicate and echolocation to direct themselves and hunt.
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Every species has its own territory!
On holidays, a part of the budget is often dedicated to buying gifts and to discovering local products. Who doesn’t want to bring home a souvenir of the little chunk of paradise where you have lived amazing moments with family or friends? But watch out, some souvenirs that you plan to put in your luggage can be dangerous for the biodiversity back at home… and where you bought it.
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Let your souvenir have a future
Every year, numerous products made from protected animals and plants are illegally imported into Belgium (fur, caviar, art,…). Through organized crime? Often. But most of the time, it’s tourists who – with no bad intentions – bring home these objects in their luggage as souvenirs.
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