News from the ENV.net
 

The ENV.net celebrated the World Environment Day

World Environmnet Day is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated by stakeholders in over 100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on the planet.
The WED theme for 2016 was "Go wild for life".
The ENV.net Partners have celebrated this day, by organising some activities in collaboration with various civic organisations to raise public awareness through active involvement of citizens and institutions on topics related to the environment. To know more, have a look at the ENV.net blog and visit the Facebook page!

All countries: ENV.net training programme

Distance learning courses:
a) "Fundraising for CSOs", the new ENV.net course about fundraising for CSOs. Next e-trainings: 14-28 July 2016
b) "CSOs activism and participation", the ENV.net course on how to develop an advocacy and lobbying strategy and to influence the decision making process: Next e-trainings: 12-26 July 2016
c) “Social media, Activism and participation”, The ENV.net course on social media (read more):  Next e-trainings: 6-20 July 2016
d) “Get funding from the European Union”: the course developed by ENV.net regards the EU as resource partner (read more).  Next e-trainings: 4-18 July 2016
To take part, interested participants should first register to the ENV.net e-learning platform here and then choose the course to attend from the "course catalogue". Further inquiries about the course may be sent to env.net-helpdesk@puntosud.org (or click here).
 

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, the ENV.net team in collaboration with various civic organisations, organised common initiatives in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey to raise public awareness through active involvement of citizens and institutions on topics related to the environment.

Albania: The ENV.net team in Albania organized an interactive training for the newly graduated students “On Protection of Environmental Resources through engaging the young professionals”. The activity aimed to increase awareness on environmental protection against climate change, and also increase awareness on renewable energy resources. The activity was part of the Youth for Energy Policy network and was carried out in the framework of the World Environment Day. For more information, have a look to the post in the blog.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: On June 5, 2016, to mark the World Environment Day, a creative workshop dedicated to the challenges imposed by the effects of climate change was organized in the small City Park of Strumica.
The purpose of the workshop was to raise awareness on the topic and to promote the role of youth in raising awareness within the community about the challenges and consequences of climate change. The workshop was attended by students from several local elementary (Marshal Tito, Sando Masev, and Vidoe Podgorec) and secondary (Jane Sandanski) schools (read more).
 
Kosovo (under UNSCR 1244/99): In order to mark 05th June World Environment Day, there were several activities organized. The activities were mainly organized in Germia Park in cooperation between ATRC with the Prishtina Municipality, NGO Mileniumi i Ri, NGO Green Art as well as other NGOs. Main activities were:
Promotion of art through recycled materials; distribution of brochures for Germia Park; promotion cycling as environmental friendly mean; lectures for children on the recycling process and energy efficiency; health promotion as well as information on environmental protection for the participants in the Park (read more).    

Serbia: The Regional Conference ‘’Environment to Europe – EnE16-ENV.net’’ was held on 6th of June 2016 in Belgrade (Serbia) to address issues related to climate changes and sustainability of resources. Traditionally, this Conference was organized by professional association “Environmental Ambassadors for Sustainable Development” and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia. Conference was UNEP WED event, supporting EU Integration process through the ENV.net project (read more). in the occasion of the World Environment Day, the ENV.net team in Serbia organised also a bicycling promotion with ECO-schools children on 4th June (read more).

Turkey: The local volunteers of the Turkish ENV.net partner TEMA Foundation organised a series of events to raise awareness about the protection of the environment, as part of the 2016 World Environment Day. The volunteers collectively created unique hand-made banners with the tag-line “Sürdürülebilir Yaşam için Doğanın Parçası Ol” (Be part of the Nature, for a Sustainable Future) and put the banners on display in central places of their towns (read more).

 

 

I. EEB reaction to the UK referendum
Jeremy Wates, EEB Secretary General: “This is bad news for the UK, Europe and the environment. All evidence shows that the EU has brought many environmental benefits for citizens and nature across Europe. It is tragic that these advantages failed to help convince a majority of people in the UK to vote remain. It is uncertain exactly what will happen next. However, it is clear that the calls by UK Prime Minister David Cameron for EU reform based on haphazardly slashing red tape did not influence the debate. Instead of giving in to short-term demands, it should now be clear to the European Commission, MEPs and Member States that another way forward is needed to create a Europe that listens to its citizens and that is fit to tackle the challenges of the twenty-first century, not least by stepping up EU measures to address climate change, resource depletion and ecosystem collapse.”
II. Successful vote on the Energy Efficiency Directive: Strengthening the Energy Efficiency Directive with a clear binding energy efficiency target of 40% for 2030.
NGOs  has welcomed successful vote on the Energy Efficiency Directive’s implementation report that took place in the European Parliament’s plenary session. The implementation report is the European Parliament’s assessment of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU). The report points out the changes the European Commission should include in the upcoming EED revision proposal expected for October 2016, together with the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The Parliament’s vote leads to commitment to strengthen the Energy Efficiency Directive with a clear binding energy efficiency target of 40% for 2030. The EP made it clear that only full implementation of this law, without any loopholes, will enable Europe to fully tap cost-effective, energy efficiency potential.
III. Time for EU to walk the talk on 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda
SDG Watch Europe, an alliance of 70 organisations including the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and Plan International, has written to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker calling for him to adopt, as a matter of urgency, an overarching strategy to guide implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
The key messages from the letter:
Not only does an overarching strategy need to address integration and coherence between the EU’s domestic and external affairs, it also needs to do so across policy areas by finding a means to break down the silos that continue to exist between and within DGs and the sectors they represent. The 2030 Agenda was designed with the objective of addressing the interlinkages and interdependencies that underpin today’s global challenges and therefore calls for a whole-of-government approach which puts the well-being of people and planet at its core, with economic and financial systems to support them.
The EU strategy must also address coherence between national and EU level. Many Member States are well underway with putting in place procedures and plans to implement the 2030 Agenda. However, there will come a point when delay at EU level creates a bottleneck for progress at Member State level. The need for an overarching strategy is particularly acute in areas where the EU has shared competence with the Member States.
SDG Watch Europe therefore calls on President Juncker to set out, as a matter of the greatest urgency, how the EU will respond with clarity and conviction to the challenge of this ambitious, universal Agenda, and to commit to developing an integrated, overarching strategy covering internal and external affairs.
Given the openness of the process to develop the 2030 Agenda, the EU should consult with civil society in drawing up its implementation strategy, as recommended by the European Parliament in its resolution of 12 May. SDG Watch Europe would therefore like to see the launch of a transparent and inclusive public consultation on the implementation of the whole 2030 Agenda.