WWF - Conservation and environmental news & publications: Bulgaria

EU legislation will promote green homes, green economy

2009-11-18

The new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive agreed Novemer 18, 2009 by the European Council and Parliament represents a crucial step in efforts to limit climate change, enhance energy security and generate jobs as well as a green economy in Central and Southeastern Europe.

The new legislation, which aims at realising the up to 40% in energy savings associated with the way buildings are constructed and managed, comes just weeks before the crucial global talks on climate change that are set to take place in Copenhagen in December and amidst efforts by governments in the region to stimulate job creation and flagging economies.

The recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will require the public sector to take the lead by owning buildings with "nearly zero" energy standards by the end of 2018. The legislation requires all new buildings to have low energy standards by 2020.

EU member states will also be required to take measures to bring existing housing stock in line with the directives, though no firm standards for this have been laid down. Member states will have to develop national plans to encourage owners to take the opportunity to install smart meters, heat pumps and heating and cooling systems using renewables.

“We are disappointed that the recast Energy Performance and Buildings Directive is weaker than the version that had been agreed by the EU Parliament, which included firm standards for renovating housing stock and tighter deadlines for implementation,” said Andreas Beckmann, Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “That said, this legislation represents a step in the right direction for our region – for jobs, a new economy as well as for climate and the environment,” Beckmann added.

Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and other countries of the region are among the most wasteful users of energy in Europe, with an intensity of energy use that is twice or more that of their Western European neighbours. The housing stock in the region is a particular problem in this respect, with old and inefficient buildings and still limited incentives for households to implement energy saving measures.

WWF and other organisations such as the Romanian Green Building Council have been promoting energy efficiency in buildings as a golden opportunity for cutting costs and climate change while promoting the creation of green jobs and a green economy.

“The costs of implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures are minimal as they are not cash expenditures but rather investments paid back by future, continuous energy savings,” says Steven Borncamp, who heads the Romanian Green Building Council, an industry group dedicated to promoting energy and resource-efficient construction. “With proven and technologies currently available in Romania, the energy consumption in both new and old buildings can be cut by an estimated 30-50 percent without significantly increasing the upfront investment cost.”

Constructing and retro-fitting energy efficient buildings is relatively low-tech but labour intensive, making it one of the leading opportunities for stimulating job creation.

“The pressure is now on the governments of Central and Southeastern Europe to transpose and implement the new EU legislation, “ WWF’s Beckmann said. “The sooner they get serious about this, the sooner we will begin realising the multiple benefits of energy efficiency in buildings”.

WWF ви кани на онлайн дискусия на тема "Преуспяваща чиста икономика"

2009-11-16

Международната природозащитна организация WWF и The Economist, с любезната подкрепа на Център за култура и дебат "Червената къща", представят онлайн дискусия на тема "Преуспяваща чиста икономика".

Разберете защо 22 от водещите световни компании са обединени в инициативата на WWF Climate Savers (Пазители на климата). До 2010 г. тези компании ще са намалили въглеродните си емисии с общо 50 млн. тона.

Какво правят те, за да изпълнят поетия ангажимент да намалят въглеродните си емисии?
Как големи мултинационални компании като Coca Cola, HP, IBM, Nike, Nokia, Sony и Lafarge се адаптират към условията на чиста икономика?
Какви решения взимат, за да остават конкурентно-способни и да просперират, и същевременно да намаляват въглеродните си емисии?
Как е възможно икономическият растеж и грижата за околната среда да вървят ръка за ръка?
Какво мислят тези компании за предстоящата среща на високо равнище в Копенхаген?

В тази уникална дискусия ще участват представители на IBM, Nokia, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola и WWF. Дискусията ще бъде модерирана от заместник главния редактор на „The Economist” Ема Дънкън.

Събитието ще се излъчи на живо от Вашингтон в сряда, 18.11.2009 г. от 20:00 до 21:30 в зала "Пеша Николова" на Център за култура и дебат "Червената къща", ул. "Любен Каравелов" № 15, София 1142, тел/факс: + 359 2 988 8188.

Дискусията е на английски език. Вход свободен.

Дебатът може да бъде проследен и индивидуално. Всичко, което трябва да направите, е да се регистрирате безплатно ето тук.

За контакти:

- Олга Апостолова, WWF, 0885 727 862

Икономистите не оценяват „природния капитал” - доклад на Програмата на ООН за околна среда

2009-11-13

Много икономисти не оценяват стойността на природните богатства в своите страни и така компрометират благоденствието на милиони хора и допринасят за катастрофалната загуба на животински и растителни видове. Това се казва в нов доклад на Програмата на ООН за околна среда.

Докладът – "Икономика на екосистемите и биоразнообразието при изготвяне на национални и международни политики 2009" - който излиза днес, показва, че държавниците трябва да разработят по-добри системи за измерване на истинската стойност на природните ресурси и да включат резултатите в процесите на взимане на решения.

Международната природозащитна организация WWF приветства проучването и подканва световните политици да се вслушат в призива да променят икономическата си политика, с цел да бъде спряно разрушаването на природните богатства.

“Държавниците трябва да обърнат внимание на този доклад и да започнат да гледат на природата по различен начин”, каза Гордън Шепърд, Директор Глобална и Регионална Политика на WWF. “Ако подходим към икономическото развитие по-далновидно, всичко това може да се промени, но в момента плащаме за невежеството на своите управници.”

Инвестициите в опазването на природата и управлението и възстановяването на екосистемите ще донесат икономическа изгода и ползи за обществото, които далеч ще надвишават бързата печалба от безогледното използване на природните ресурси, като например изсичането на горите и прекомерния риболов, се казва в доклада.

“Изразходваме природния си капитал без да осъзнаваме цената на това, което губим”.

“Влошаването на почвата, въздуха, водата и биологичното разнообразие може да има неблагоприятен ефект върху здравето на хората, сигурността на храната, изборът на потребителите и възможностите за бизнес. Обикновено най-засегнати са бедните хора в селските райони, защото те са най-зависими от природните ресурси”, се казва още в доклада.

“Проблемът е, че икономистите не дават пазарни цени на екосистемните услуги и на биоразнообразието”, показва проучването. “Това означава, че ползите, които извличаме от природата обикновено се пренебрегват или остават недооценени при взимане на стратегически решения. “ Това на свой ред води до действия, които не само причиняват загуба на биоразнообразие, но и влошават качеството на живот.”

Докладът дава някои основни насоки за държавниците днес.

Например, трябва да бъде променена порочната практика на даване на субсидии за грижата за околната среда (към момента една трета от тези субсидии подкрепят използването на изкопаеми горива) и да се засилят инвестициите в „екологична инфраструктура”. Последното “предлага изгодни възможности, които помагат в борбата срещу промените в климата, намаляват риска от природни бедствия и подсигуряват чиста вода и храна”.

В допълнение, Гордън Шепърд от WWF казва, че бизнесът също трябва да направи преоценка на начина, по който използва природни ресурси, за да подсигури бъдещето си. По този начин бизнесът може да бъде част от решението на кризата, пред която е изправена околната среда заради загубата на биоразнообразие.

“В крайна сметка трябва да предприемем широкомащабни мерки да оценим природните ресурси и тези мерки трябва да включват всички – частния бизнес, държавата, международните споразумения като Конвенцията за биологичното разнообразие, както и самите нас,” казва Гордън Шепърд. “Ще трябва всички да направим сериозно усилие, за да се подобри здавето на планетата.”

Докладът "Икономика на екосистемите и биоразнообразието" беше изготвен по поръчка на министрите на околната среда на G8 с цел да се направи глобално проучване за връзката между икономиката и загубата на биоразнообразие.

Европа не е готова за борбата срещу промените в климата

2009-11-11

Ново проучване инициирано от енергийната индустрия показва, че Европа все още не е готова за борбата срещу промените в климата. Проучването „Силата на енергията: пътища към въглеродно-неутрално електричество в Европа до 2050 г.” е изготвено от Eurelectric, организация, която представлява електрическата индустрия в Европа.

Представено пред Европейския парламент, проучването e изготвено от проф. Капрос от Атинския Технически Университет и се основава на доразвиване на компютърния модел PRIMES, който е използван от Европейската комисия при изготвянето на европейското законодателство в областта на енергията и климата.

Изводите в проучването показват, че пакетът от законодателни мерки „Енергетика и климат” на Европейския съюз от миналата година (за намаляване на въглеродните емисии с 20%, преминаване към 20% възобновяема енергия и повишаване на енергийната ефективност с 20% до 2020 г.) няма да доведе до дългосрочното желано намаляване на емисиите, необходимо за постигане на целите свързани с климата. Ще бъдат необходими допълнителни мерки, включително затягането на съществуващото законодателство, за да бъдат постигнати целите на ЕС.

"Проучването на Eurelectric трябва да пробуди летаргичните законотворци на Европейския съюз, защото то потвърждава, че политиките на Съюза до този момент са недостатъчни да ограничат промените в климата. Абсолютно задължително е нашите политически лидери да откликнат адекватно на огромното предизвикателство, пред което сме изправени”, казва Марк Джонсън, координатор на програмата на WWF за стандартите в отделянето на СО2 емисии в производството на електроенергия.

Зеленият бизнес носи не само печалба, но и полза за планетата

2009-11-06

Жан-Пол Жанрено e основател на инициативата One Planet Living, която демонстрира, че устойчивото икономическо развитие, съобразено с околната среда, може да бъде привлекателно и достъпно. В момента Жан-Пол Жанрено координира дейността на инициативата на WWF Climate Savers, която е насочена към големия бизнес.

Какви бизнеси включвате в Climate Savers?

Много от компаниите, с които WWF работи, вече са част и от нашата инициатива Climate Savers. В тази група членуват предимно големи мултинационални компании, които са поели ангажимент да намалят емисиите си от СО2. Една от първите компании в групата беше Lafarge, производител на цимент. През 2000 година те поеха ангажимент да намалят с 10% емисиите си в сравнение с нивото от 1990 г. Оттогава се присъединиха още много компании – SONY, IBM. Всички поемат различни ангажименти.

Да работиш с големия бизнес е предизвикателство, но също така бих казал, че става все по-лесно, защото бизнес лидерите вече са много по-запознати с проблемите на околната среда и на климата. Те виждат, че промяната идва и че трябва да правят бизнес по чист и устойчив начин, който в същото време е и социално отговорен. Преди десет години беше много трудно, но днес в Европа и Съединените щати бизнесът няма нужда от подканване.

Ето, миналата седмица създадохме The Green Economy Coalition. В тази коалиция членуват много организации освен WWF - UNEP, International Institute for Environment and Development, the International Labor Organisation, International Trades Union Committee, the World Business Council . Всички тези групи имат обща кауза – да преминем към зелена икономика в следващите 10 до 20 години.

Всъщност, повечето хора свързват WWF с инициативата One Planet Living. Какво е One Planet Living?

Всеки две години WWF подготвя едно проучване - The Living Planet Report. То е нещо като пълна кръвна картина на планетата. Водим я на лекар, за да разберем как е. Обикновено изводът е, че е по-зле от преди и прогнозата е, че положението й ще се влошава. Идеята за One Planet Living дойде от това, че искахме не само да констатираме проблема, но и да направим нещо, за да го решим, да покажем, че има и други начини да живеем на планетата.

Дотогава посланието на еко ориентираните хора, беше, че едва ли не трябва да се върнем към живот в пещерите. Ние не искахме това, искахме да сме позитивни и привлекателни в посланието си. Търсехме високо качество на живот с нисък екологичен отпечатък. Сведохме всичко до десет принципа на устойчивото развитие и започнахме да създаваме еко общности по целия свят. Те трябваше да бъдат лесни за изграждане, евтини и секси, иначе хората нямаше да имат интерес. Днес имаме такива еко селища във Великобритания, Португалия и Абу Даби. Проектът Масдар в Абу Даби има реалния шанс да стане първият въглеродно-неутрален град в света.

В България участвате в Green Innovation Forum „Как бизнесът ни да печели от зелените инвестиции”. Как ще убедите българския бизнес, че зелената икономика е бъдещето?

Мисля, че убеждаването на българския бизнес ще бъде предизвикателство, каквото е навсякъде другаде по света. Според мен в страна като България ще бъде дори малко по-трудно, защото вие сега излизате от дълъг период на сравнително ограничен достъп до ресурси, стоки, да кажем дори богатсво. И да накараш хората да мислят за околната среда, когато за тях по-важно е да имат нова хубава кола, ще бъде трудно.

Но с натрупване на богатството, хората ще потърсят качество на живота и в обществените пространства. Това е добър лост да накараме бизнесите да се замислят как работят и да имат по-устойчив модел на работа. Факт е, че с устойчив бизнес могат да се спестят пари. Ако внедрите енергоспестяващи технологии, печелите пари. Ако не замърсявате, обществото няма да очаква от вас да плащате за почистване.

Мисля също така, че търсенето на продукти и услиги, които не вредят на околната среда, нараства. Тъй че самите потребители ще бъдат лост, който ще накара бизнеса да мисли за това как да става по-зелен. Промяната е трудно нещо и хората не обичат да излизат от зоната си на комфорт, но вече има достатъчно примери как зеленият бизнес носи не само печалба, но и полза за планетата.

Европа ще спечели, ако действа първа срещу промените в климата

2009-11-03

Берлин, Германия – Ново мащабно европейско проучване за цената на борбата с промените в климата показва, че избягването на опасните последици на приемлива цена е възможно, само ако се действа рано и че Европа ще спечели, ако поеме лидерството, дори ако другите страни продължат да бездействат.

RECIPE – доклад за енергийната и климатична политика в Европа, изготвен от Потсдамския институт за отражението на климатичните промени и още четири европейски изследователски институции, и подкрепен от финансовия гигант Allianz и WWF, също така заключава, че ако цената на борбата с глобалното затопляне бъде добре разпределена, в света няма да има финансово обременени региони.

“Предпазването от климатичните промени е икономически възможно и достъпно”, казва професор Отмар Еденхофер главен икономист на екипа. “Ако Европа започне борбата рано, дори това да е едностранно, инвестицията ще се избие заради значително по-ниската цена.”

Професор Еденхофер, който също така е председател на работна група към Междуправителствената група за промените в климата (IPCC), казва, че в глобален план ключов механизъм за поддържане на ниска стойност на инвестициите ще бъде финансовото подпомагане на развиващите се икономики.

“Най-важното, за да остане цената достъпна, е да създадем обвързващи политически условия, които да влязат в сила веднага и да се усети ефектът още в следващото десетилетие,” казва професор Еденхофер.

Бездействието в следващото десетилетие ще увеличи цената почти двойно

В своя доклад учените сравняват три модела на енергийна икономика и ги използват за основа на своите препоръки за европейска климатична политика. Те предлагат различни варианти за намаляване на емисиите на основните замърсяващи сектори – енергетика, производство на цимент и стомана, транспорт и земеделие, като установяват, че мерките срещу глобалното затопляне ще струват само една година на забавено икономическо развитие до 2050 г.

Ако не реагираме веднага чрез взимане на адекватни мерки, това ще ни струва поне 46% повече от взимането на мерки сега. Тук учените не взимат под внимание огромната цена на щетите, причинени от изменението на климата заради невзимането на мерки. Това прави мерките срещу промените в климата още по-приемливи.

Проучването показва, че възможностите за мащабни мерки срещу промените в климата ще бъдат напълно изчерпани до 2020 г.

Allianz и WWF създават партньорство за климата през 2007 г., две години след като двете организации си партнират на глобално и регионално ниво, включително в изготвянето на проучвания за цената на риска от промените в климата в Съединените щати. От Allianz смятат, че след като 40 процента от загубите в застрахователния бизнес се дължат на последици от промените в климата, това е достатъчна причина организацията да работи в тази сфера.

“Никой друг пазар няма да се разраства толкова бързо и бурно и да привлича толкова големи инвестиции в следващите десет години, колкото пазарът свързан с климатичните промени и нисковъглеродната икономика”, казва Йоахим Фабер, изпълнителен директор на Allianz Global Investors.

“Но готовността на нашите клиенти да инвестират зависи от добрите условия. Сега е ред на политиците да подсигурят тези условия. Това включва не само сигурни начини за постигане на целите за намаляване на въглеродните емисии, но и пазарни механизми като търговия с емисионни сертификати, система за ограничаване и търговия с емисии, скоростно приемане на европейската директива за насърчаване на възобновяемата енергия, която да гарантира на инвеститорите сигурни тарифи на изкупуване, и повече инвестиции в ниско-въглеродни технологии.”

Важно е да не намалява натискът върху замърсяващите производства

Allianz и WWF резюмират извода от доклада така: “Светът има нужда от истински лидери и проучването RECIPE показва, че Европа може само да спечели от лидерството”. “Превръщайки се в лидер с амбициозни цели за намаляване на СО2 емисии, икономиката на Европа печели от това, че не инвестира повече във въглеродни технологии, които ще трябва да бъдат преустановени много скоро.”

Bulgarian natural icon turns 75 under threat of dubious construction activities

2009-10-28

Sofia, Bulgaria – A massive expansion of skiing infrastructure is threatening the essence of Vitosha Natural Park, one of Bulgaria’s most famous and popular protected areas, on the eve of it’s 75th anniversary.

Right at the edge of national capital Sofia, Vitosha mountain is a much loved destination for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of a busy city. Trekking routes and skiing facilities attract between 2,5 and 4 million people each year.

However, three years after acquiring a monopoly on skiing facilities in the area in an already dubious manner, Vitosha Ski, is planning to boost the current 19 ha ski area more than seven fold to 142,5 ha, adding eight new ski pistes and 18 ski lifts.

If the construction goes ahead, it would destroy the habitats of the species including bears, wolves, wild cats and chamois for which Vitosha was designated a European Natura 2000 site.

The new ski zone would rise on territory owned by the state, for which the Forestry Agency is responsible and although the Forestry Agency has not yet approved the plans the threat must be taken seriously.

“From the very beginning the ski zone expansion has been planned and pushed through in a way that is quite obviously in breach of a number of Bulgarian laws, not only environmental” , Vesselina Kavrakova, Program Manager of the WWF Danube - Carpathian Program in Bulgaria, said.

Worryingly, this is yet another case in Bulgaria of illegal or semi-legal construction of ski and tourism infrastructure. Among others, many of the skiing facilities of the well known resort of Bansko in south-west Bulgaria were unlawfully built in the heart of Pirin National Park.

The European Commission has initiated penalty procedures against Bulgaria because of violations of environmental law in the case of Bansko.

Earlier this month environment minister Nona Karadjova abolished a non-transparent decision by the Regional inspectorate of environment and water that would have given a go-ahead to construction work.

“We welcome the Minister’s decision”, Toma Belev, Director of Vitosha Nature Park administration, said. “The interest in protected areas in Bulgaria and Romania by private investors is huge as these areas are part of the nations’ natural treasure, emblematic for these countries and therefore easier to ‘exploit’.”

In an opinion poll conducted by Alpha Research in 2008, 73.6% of respondents said that destruction of nature is the greatest environmental problem in Bulgaria; 58.3% said that illegal construction was the greatest problem.

In 2007, over 145,000 people signed a petition calling on the Bulgarian authorities to take action.

Bulgaria takes part in the global Day of Action on climate

2009-10-24

Founded by American environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. On the Day of Action, the organization is calling on people around the world to organize an event incorporating the number 350 at an iconic place in their community, and then upload a photo of their event on 350.org website.

Thousands of photos from 5,248 rallies and protests spread across 181 countries flooded into the web servers of 350.org, marking what organizers of the global warming campaign said was “clearly the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history.”

In Sofia 110 people, organized by the country’s Climate Action Coalition of which WWF is a member, held hands and stood in the shape of the number 350 in front of the National Palace of Culture. However, in spite of the fact that a great number of Bulgarian politicians had been invited to show their support, only Atanas Semov, Vice-President of the National Assembly, attended the event and joined the supporters.

“We must do more to educate people on the issue”, said Georgi Stefanov, Climate Change Expert of the WWF Danube - Carpathian Program in Bulgaria. “Talking to people today I have realized that journalists and environmentalists have a huge job on their hands, informing the general public of the looming climate crisis.”

Earlier this week WWF sent Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov an open letter urging him to strive for a legally binding agreement to emerge from Copenhagen, with all of the elements that make it a real deal. WWF is currently disturbed by the increasing number of voices from European sources hinting that Copenhagen will fail to lead to a legally binding agreement.

350.org will deliver the images from the Day of Action to the media and world leaders. “In some sense, the global warming movement finally went global yesterday,” said 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben. “And there wasn’t a rock star or movie actor in sight—it was ordinary people rallying around a scientific data point to send the message that our leaders actually need to lead.”

“People in almost all the nations of the earth are involved,” said 350 honorary spokesman Desmond Tutu, the South African Anglican archbishop and Nobel Laureate. “It's the same kind of coalition that helped make the word “apartheid” known around the world.”

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. Scientists have concluded that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

Only last week the WWF released a report saying that the world has just five years to initiate a low carbon industrial revolution before runaway climate change becomes almost inevitable. But the good news is that it can be done and that the long term benefits will be immense, according to the analysis from WWF.

NGOs join forces to save a living Danube threatened by inland navigation plans

2009-10-09

“Inland navigation can be considered as a viable alternative to road freight only if both global CO2 emissions and local impacts on river ecosystems are considered equally”, says Orieta Hulea, Head of Freshwater at the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme. “Navigation projects that require regulation of the river bed and bank impede the multitude of services, free flowing rivers provide to society, such as drinking water supply, flood control, acting as a natural filter for pollutants or support of healthy fisheries. These aspects must be considered when discussing transport plans and projects. Otherwise in areas like the Danube environmental damages risks are higher than benefits”.

As part of the European TEN-T programme, infrastructure projects are planned for the Danube on a combined length of 1000 km including the last free-flowing stretches in Germany, the Danube National Park between Vienna and Bratislava, and large stretches of the middle and lower Danube in Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria.

Current plans in Hungary would affect groundwater supply and natural areas protected under national and international law. Proposed dredging works and closing of lateral arms on the Danube in Romania will endanger the fish population due to the loss of the main spawning grounds especially for sturgeons, which are already on the brink of extinction as a direct consequence of previous river regulation.

With more than 80 million people depending directly on the economic value of its river basin natural systems, the Danube is the lifeline of Europe. “In every village and town along the Danube farmers, fishermen and small companies are depending on the natural river eco-system,” reminds Harald Kutzenberger, IAD General Secretary. “We should not easily risk thousands of local jobs along the Danube as a result of gaps in the Environmental Impact Assessments – and loose the strong potential for eco-tourism and rural development.”

NGOs are calling for the EU and national governments to guarantee and regain functioning ecosystem processes, respect socio-economic needs of regional and local economies, and prove that navigation projects meet all legal requirements, in particular compliance with the non-deterioration clause of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (hereafter WFD) as well as achievement of the environmental objectives of the Danube River Basin Management Plan and Natura 2000 sites.

For further information:
Orieta Hulea, Head of Freshwater, WWF Danube Carpathian Programme, Tel. + 40 21 3174996,
E-mail: ohulea(at)wwfdcp.ro

Harald Kutzenberger, General Secretary, International Association for Danube Research, Tel. +43 676 328 33 12, e-mail: kutzenberger(at)iad.gs

Change of leadership at WWF-DCPO

2009-07-01

Michael Baltzer, director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme (WWF-DCPO) since 2005, left the organisation in July 2009 to head WWF's global tiger conservation efforts based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is replaced at WWF-DCPO by Andreas Beckmann, who had been serving the organisation as Deputy Director since 2005.

Mike Baltzer oversaw significant development of WWF's work in the Danube-Carpathian region, including a doubling in staff and budget, the establishment of new WWF organisations in Romania and Bulgaria as well as development of new activities in the Ukrainian Carpathians and in Serbia. At the same time, WWF-DCPO pushed into new areas of activity, engaging more closely with the private sector and searching for economic mechanisms to support nature conservation. Awareness raising and public mobilisation became a major focus for WWF's work in the region, with major nationwide campaigns developed in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine.

The work initiated by Baltzer will continue in coming years. "Our aim for the next 5 years is to continue the work begun in recent years -- to strengthen our national profiles and presence in the region, deepen our engagement with the private sector and step up our efforts to reduce the growing ecological footprint in the region, especially from energy and carbon emissions," Beckmann said. WWF-DCPO will continue ongoing efforts to ensure effective protection and management of protected areas, protect and restore wetland areas within the Danube basin and preserve Europe's last major stands of old growth forest.

A major challenge remains to ensure that the major successes achieved in the region, from the establishment of protected areas to the development of new funding sources for nature protection, are implemented in practice and not just on paper. The protected area systems are still weak, with those in Romania and Slovakia even facing collapse. Many of the protected areas of the region are threatened by developments, many of them illegal, including e.g. illegal construction of ski facilities in Pirin and Rila National Parks in Bulgaria.

"The challenges facing us with regard to environnment and nature conservation are the same ones facing these societies more generally -- establishment of the rule of law, effective governance and administration and an active and engaged civil society and citizenry. In this sense, our work is about much more than 'just' securing many of Europe's last remaining outstanding natural treasures -- it is about the future shape of these societies," Beckmann remarked.

Mike Baltzer came to WWF-DCPO as Conservation Director in 2004, bringing with him rich experience with conservation work from across the world, particularly from Africa and Southeast Asia. He moved to Vienna from Vietnam, where he headed WWF's large-scale conservation efforts in the forests of the Mekong ecoregion. He holds degrees in conservation and environmental studies.

Andreas Beckmann has been living and working in the Danube-Carpathian region since 1991. He came to WWF in 2001 to lead the organisation's efforts to engage with and prepare for the accession of Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union. Prior to WWF, he led development and communications for the Environmental Partnership foundations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. He holds degrees in history, political science and international relations from Stanford University and Swarthmore College as well as a WWF certificate in conservation leadership.

Danube Day -- fears amidst the celebrations

2009-06-28

Amidst the celebrations of this year's Danube Day on June 29, WWF is concerned about persisting threats to the Danube as a living river. Government and EU plans to remove “bottlenecks” for navigation could impact up to 1,000 km of the river’s most natural sections, and threaten to violate the non-deterioration clause of the EU Water Framework Directive.

Plans by the Romanian government to improve navigation between Calarasi and Braila on the Lower Danube could severely impact sturgeon migration routes, possibly pushing the already threatened fish species into extinction. WWF has tabled alternative solutions that would facilitate navigation while limiting negative impacts.

EU plans for developing the Danube as a major shipping corridor have called for the removal of "bottlenecks" on up to 1,000 km of the river's length. Traditional approaches to improving navigation involving damming, diking and dredging could have disastrous effects on the river, its natural goods and services.

WWF will present these and other concerns at public consultations on the Danube River Basin Management Plan that is being organized by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River in Bratislava on June 29-30.

The consultations are taking place within the framework of the EU Water Framework Directive, which calls for all rivers, lakes and coasts to achieve ‘good ecological status’ by 2015. European citizens have a key role to play in implementing the directive, which calls for the public to be informed and involved in the preparation of river basin management plans.

WWF has developed alternatives for promoting shipping while limiting damage to the Danube as a living river. The focus should first be on measures such as improved ship technology and logistics that do not require major changes to the river. Only after such alternatives are exhausted should much more expensive and non-reversible river modifications come into consideration.

WWF is also calling for increased attention to floodplain restoration in the Danube basin as a key measure for addressing climate change and securing ecosystem services, such as flood protection, drinking water provisioning and biodiversity.

According to a WWF commissioned study, the potential for floodplain restoration is much higher than countries have indicated in the draft river basin managment plan. Floodplains provide multiple benefits for humans and nature, securing a range of ecosystem services from flood protection to replenishing drinking water. Protecting and restoring floodplains can make a major and cost-effective contribution to addressing the challenge of climate change.

Romania has ambitious plans to restore over 400,000 ha of Danube floodplains, but work toward this ambitious goal is not planned before 2015.

Contact:
Andreas Beckmann, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme, +43 676 84 27 28 216

River managers plan a bleak water future for Europe

2009-05-29

Brussels, Belgium: An ambitious European scheme to fix and safeguard its rivers and secure its water future is at risk of being undermined by poor and inadequate plans for water management prepared by EU countries, a new study by WWF and European Environment Bureau (EEB) has found.

The analysis has found none of the draft plans rates well across a range of water safety, conservation and management measures.

"The European Water Framework Directive when adopted in 2000 was far from perfect but it had the makings of a world-leading vision to change the ways we manage, use and value water at a time when the worlds water future looked much more secure than it does today ," said Sergey Moroz, Water Policy Officer at WWF.

Despite increasing water challenges exacerbated by climate change, draft plans developed so far by Member States are generally putting off major and necessary decisions, providing few mechanisms and little funding to achieve good status for water bodies.

"in the interests of agriculture and industry to become less vulnerable"

"These plans dont create an impression that we are finally departing from the unsustainable practices that led us to the current water crisis," said Pieter de Pous, EEB Water Policy Officer." For example, it is in the interests of agriculture and industry to become less vulnerable to increasingly insecure water supplies but there is very little in the plans when it comes to reducing their water consumption."

What future for EUs water? expresses particular concerns with increasingly water scarce Italy and Greece where it is unclear whether they are actually planning to finalise plans even remotely comparable to what the rest of Europe is doing.

Some countries like the Netherlands that have lost much of their natural rivers and waters in the past, are now starting initiatives to give rivers more space for flooding and thus improving their ability to face future climate change impacts. The Netherlands also managed to secure funding for river restoration, although the amounts are still inadequate.

Worrying diverging trends now emerge from Eastern and Southern Europe, like in Czech Republic and Portugal, where rivers continue to be poured into concrete straightjackets for the purpose of navigation, flood defence or hydropower, said de Pous.

In Portugal up to 10 new dams for hydropower are currently proposed for construction without any adequate consideration of the likelihood that there may not be enough water to run them.

"need to be visionary to tackle lasting food and energy security, public health and climate challenges"

Water pollution remains a serious issue also not sufficiently addressed in the majority of plans and large portions of Europes waters remain at risk of becoming unavailable or in need of expensive treatment.

Water efficiency measures were particularly poor in most draft plans. A partial exception was France's Loire Bretagne basin where a water efficiency objective is proposed for drinking water supply for rural and urban areas.

"To tackle Europes water challenges, Member States plans need to be visionary, abandoning a minimalist approach to implementation and becoming the central plank of efforts to tackle lasting food and energy security, public health and climate challenges," said Moroz.

Public consultation on the draft river plans is set to close at the end of June. EU Member States will have to finalise their water plans by the end of the year and send them to the European Commission.

Wilderness in the Heart of Europe

2009-05-26

WWF, the global conservation organisation, will announce on Thursday, May 27 the launch of an ambitious new field programme for creating large-scale natural areas in Europe. The initiative, which is being launched by WWF-Netherlands in cooperation with Free Nature, Ark and Eurosite, seeks to restore over the next decade at least 100,000 ha in 10 areas across the continent, taking as opportunity the gradual abandonment of many of the continent’s rural areas.

“The ongoing depopulation of entire regions creates a huge opportunity for large-scale natural areas,” said WWF-Netherlands CEO Johan van de Gronden at the initiative’s launch at an EU conference on wilderness in Prague. “It offers unique opportunities for the present generation to start developing complete ecosystems on the foundation of new rural economies, where nature itself is the driving force.”

The Wild Europe Field Programme invites park managers, authorities, local NGOs and communities, private land owners and other stakeholders to nominate areas that might qualify to become part of the field programme.

One focus for the initiative could be the southern Carpathians, which represent one of Europe’s very few remaining relative wilderness areas. The area, stretching from Djerdap National Park in Serbia, across the Danube and up through the Retezat Park and the Fagaras Mountains in Romania, totals over 1 million ha and includes the last ‘intact forest landscape’ in continental Europe. It is home to abundant wildlife, including brown bears, lynx and wolves as well as chamoix.

Most of the area is already under some form of protection. Thirteen national or nature parks together cover some 625,000 ha; this together with another five areas to be designated as specially protected sites under the EU’s Natura 2000 network brings the total protection to over 1 million ha.

Given the existing extent of protection, establishing the area as Europe’s largest-scale wild landscape requires relatively little change for people living in and around the area. The main challenge lies in coordinating management of the existing protected areas as well as promoting the region worldwide.

“The southern Carpathian wilderness has the potential of becoming a world class destination for tourism,” said Erika Stanciu, head of WWF’s Carpathian programme. “Few other places in Europe offer the same prospects to experience brown bears or wolves, near pristine forests and brilliant flowering meadows.”

Contacts:

For information on the Wild Europe Field Programme and interviews with WWF-Netherlands CEO Johan van de Gronden, please contact Lot Folgering, press officer of WWF-Netherlands: +31 30 6937307
For information regarding WWF’s work in the Carpathians, please contact: Andreas Beckmann, WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme: +43 676 84 27 28 216

Europe's wilderness

2009-05-25

In Europe, with its long history of human settlement, the southern Carpathians present an anomaly. The area stretching from Djerdap National Park in northern Serbia across the Danube gorge at the Iron Gates, up to the Retezat, Romania’s flagship national park and across the Fagaras mountains almost to the bend that the Carpathian Mountains make at Brasov is surprisingly well preserved, almost untouched in comparison with most other parts of the “old” continent.

The southern Carpathians represent one of Europe’s very few remaining great wilderness areas. The area totals over 1 million ha and includes the last intact forest landscape in continental Europe. It is home to abundant wildlife, including brown bears, lynx and wolves as well as chamoix.

European wilderness

Europe is one of the most intensely settled areas of the world, with land use patterns that have shaped and transformed virtually all parts of the continent. Little wonder then that very few areas have been left relatively untouched, and that the largest of them are found in those parts of the continent that have seen least development.

‘Wilderness’ refers to relatively untouched natural areas that have not been significantly modified by human activity – core areas for nature on land or at sea where nature and wildlife thrive.

Just as wilderness is becoming increasingly rare, its importance is growing in recognition and appreciation. Wilderness provides a wealth of benefits and services for nature and humans, from biodiversity to carbon sequestration. Recent research has underlined the importance of wilderness areas in regulating global climate by serving as significant “sinks” for carbon. Such areas also hold a key to holding onto much of our planet’s biological diversity, e.g. brown bears, wolves and other wide-ranging species.

At the same time, wilderness is increasingly appreciated for both recreation and, increasingly importantly, tourism, providing an important source of well being and also income.

In Europe, according to IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, wilderness protected areas cover between 1.7% and 4% of the continent, but this figure is almost certainly too high.

Smaller wild areas are scattered across the continent, from the Swiss National Park to Fulufjallet National Park in Sweden. But large and truly wild or wilderness areas have become very rare in Europe, limited to the Svalbard area of northern Scandinavia, mountain areas of Southern Europe and forest areas in Central and Eastern Europe, including the southern Carpathians area.

Threats

Many of these areas are facing significant threats particularly from infrastructure development, including roads, residential and tourist facilities as in the southern Carpathians.

A highway is planned to be rammed through the heart of the southern Carpathians, skirting Retezat National Park and driving through core areas of Domogled National Park. WWF and Greenpeace have so far managed to stall the project, against strong support from the Romanian President. In other parts of the area, old growth forest is being felled to provide wood for pulp and paper.

Development of ski areas poses a threat to a number of areas throughout the region, with well over 100 ski resorts planned or under development. Most of the areas are being built at below 1,500 meters above sea level, which in the Alps is considered as the minimum altitude needed to secure snow conditions in the face of global warming.

The threat of ski developments is not limited to the newest EU member states. In Austria, the planned "Piz Val Gronda" ski area threatens one of the last wilderness areas in the Alps.

Similar challenges are of course facing other natural areas across the continent, and addressing them has been the focus of much of the conservation legislation at international, EU and national levels in past years, from the international Convention on Biological Diversity to the EU’s Habitats and Birds Directives and various kinds of national level protection.

Under the Convention on Biological Diversity – an international treaty of 191 states to protect the diversity of nature which all EU countries have ratified – governments committed in 2004 to protect any large, intact natural areas by 2006. To date, few governments in Europe have met this obligation, but significant progress has been made in stretching a safety net for nature across the continent. The EU’s Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites now covers some 17% of EU territory, including many of the continent’s remaining wilderness areas. Many of the areas also enjoy national and in some cases even international protection status.

Insufficient protection

But when it comes to wilderness, the EU’s safety net for nature can be threadbare in places. By focusing on the preservation of species and habitats of European importance, the EU protected habitats and species do not always fully cover the large-scale natural processes that distinguish wilderness areas. Impact assessments undertaken for Natura 2000 areas may conclude for example that a new road will not affect the specific species or habitat that are the object of conservation interest, while at the same time these activities may negatively impact the wilderness quality of the area.

In practice, the overlap between the protection categories and wilderness areas is significant, particularly e.g. for bears, wolves and other large carnivores that require large and relatively untouched areas to survive. What is needed therefore is the effective implementation of the European system of protected areas, a better understanding of the importance of protecting these values as well as forceful measures to ensure that wilderness areas are recognised and protected.

In particular, wilderness zones must be recognised and given extra protection within the Natura 2000 network. Guidance must be given to EU Member States on the best ways to ensure the protection of present and potential wilderness and wildlands and their natural processes.

To this end, a conference is being organised by Wild Europe, an initiative supported by WWF, IUCN, BirdLife and other major conservation organisations, in cooperation with the European Commission and the Czech government under the aegis of its EU presidency.

Wilderness initiatives

The EU Wilderness conference, which is taking place May 27-28 in Prague, follows on a December 2008 communication by the European Parliament, which called on the European Commission to develop a wilderness strategy coherent with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.

The growing interest in wilderness at EU level reflects growing concern and an increasing number of initiatives from across the continent that aim at securing and even expanding Europe’s last wilderness areas.

WWF is using the Prague Wilderness Conference to launch an initiative to promote the southern Carpathians as the continent’s largest remaining wilderness area. Much of the area is already under some form of protection. Thirteen national or nature parks together cover some 625,000 ha; this together with another five areas to be designated as specially protected sites under the EU’s Natura 2000 network brings the total protected area to over 1 million ha.

In Slovakia, the NGO Vlk (Wolf) has been working to protect 10% of the country’s forested areas through a mixture of advocacy and campaigning as well as land purchase and renting.

PAN Parks, a joint venture of WWF and Molecaten, a tourism company, has taken an innovative approach to support the creation of a network of well-managed wilderness protected areas across Europe, mixing strict management guidelines on the one hand with support for development of wilderness-focused tourism on the other. To date, 10 PAN Parks have been established throughout Europe from the Arctic Circle to the Mediterranean, from Retezat National Park in Romania to the Archipelago National Park in Finland.

“Re-wilding”

In future, there may be new opportunities not only to preserve but actually expand wilderness areas in Europe, at least in some places.

In Scotland, which is perhaps best known for its windswept and treeless landscape, the Trees for Life initiative is gradually restoring the ancient Caledonian Forest which covered the area before the arrival of sheep and clearing.

At the Prague wilderness conference, WWF-Netherlands CEO Johan van de Gronden is announcing a new field programme for creating European wilderness. The initiative, which is being launched by WWF-Netherlands in cooperation with Free Nature, Ark and Eurosite, seeks to restore over the next decade at least 100,000 ha in 10 areas across the continent, taking as opportunity the gradual abandonment of many of the continent’s rural areas.

“The ongoing depopulation of entire regions creates a huge opportunity for large-scale natural areas,” van de Gronden said. “It offers unique opportunities for the current generation to start developing complete ecosystems on the foundation of new rural economies, where nature itself is the driving force.”

The Wild Europe Field Programme invites park managers, authorities, local NGOs and communities, private land owners and other stakeholders to nominate areas that might qualify to become part of the field programme.

Wilderness for humans

An inspiring lesson that many of these initiatives share is that nature has a remarkable ability to regenerate itself. “Re-wilding” comes spontaneously, requiring only time – and the restraint of human intervention. Just as importantly, they suggest that restraining human intervention is possible, even in such a densely settled continent like Europe.

Indeed, it is not so much a question of restraining, but rather channelling human activities – finding ways in which we can enjoy and profit from, without destroying nature.

Andreas Beckmann is Deputy Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

Notes:
WWF recognises that the term 'Wilderness' is a contentious one and we use it here to mean wild, natural spaces. We acknowledge that communities, often Indigenous Peoples, live in some 'Wilderness' areas and have done so for centuries. WWF recognises that indigenous peoples are key stewards and protectors of nature and commits to ensuring their rights are upheld.

Globul supports Parks Day in Bulgaria

2009-05-05

GLOBUL, the Bulgarian mobile phone operator, is providing core support for this year’s National Parks Day, which WWF-DCP/Bulgaria is organizing on May 23 in cooperation with the Bulgarian Association of Nature Parks.

Thousands of volunteers are expected to descend on the country’s 11 nature parks to collect litter and repair visitor infrastructure.

The parks include many of Bulgaria’s most popular tourist destinations as well as outstanding natural areas, including Vitosha Nature Park at the edge of Sofia and Strandzha Nature Park on the Black Sea Coast.

The event will help to raise public awareness and appreciation of these natural jewels as well as the threats that many of them face, including illegal or semi-legal construction of ski and tourism infrastructure.

5 years on, EU accession scores some wins for nature conservation

2009-05-01

Five years after the EU’s “big bang” enlargement to the East and South, some wins have been scored for nature conservation in the new member states.

The ten countries that on May 1, 2004 pinned their stars to the EU flag – including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania as well as Cyprus and Malta – are the EU’s treasure troves of natural wealth, including some of its greatest natural forests, wilderness and cultural landscapes.

Accession to the EU has brought some solid advances for nature protection in the countries, but has not been a panacea for persisting challenges. At the same time, still unreformed EU policies and programmes have brought new threats to the EU’s newest heritage.

EU legislation
Over the last several years, the EU’s Natura 2000 network of specially protected sites – the cornerstone of the EU’s system for nature protection – has been extended to include the new member states. As a result, 142,540 km2 (an area roughly twice the size of Ireland) have been added to the EU’s “safety net for nature”, which now covers some 17% of all EU territory. The protective folds of the network cover plants and animals of European and even global importance, including e.g. the European lynx (Lynx lynx), Brown bears (Ursos arctos) and outstanding sites from the Bialowieza primeval forest in Poland to Triglav National Park in Slovenia.

Some of the EU’s new members have overtaken older member states in implementing the EU nature legislation. Slovenia has designated 35% of its territory as part of the Natura 2000 network. The Czech Republic can serve as an example to other member states for some of its management systems for the new areas.

Many challenges remain. While now on paper, the Natura 2000 network is only gradually being put into actual practice. In Slovakia, for example, many protected areas, like the Tatras National Park, are threatened by development of ski facilities and other tourism infrastructure, despite being part of the Natura 2000 network.

Despite reforms in recent years, the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy continues to favour industrial agriculture systems that undermine the rich biological diversity. There are still problems with targeting some of the agri-environmental programmes that are specifically dedicated to promoting nature conservation.

At the same time, EU development funds often serve to undermine natural treasures. EU and national safeguards, like Environmental Impact Assessments, which should ensure that environmental considerations are properly taken into account in planning and project development, are often ineffective or poorly applied in the new member states, providing little more than a green fig leaf.

Despite the challenges, there are clear cases where the application of EU legislation has already made a real difference. EU legislation backed by pressure from the European Commission has saved the Rospuda Valley in northeastern Poland. Bowing to pressure from the European Commission and a case before the European Court of Justice, the Polish government has called off longstanding plans to build a major motorway through the globally important area and is considering alternative routes.

Similar conflicts may be avoided in future as the Polish government has introduced measures to more fully integrate environmental concerns in planning for infrastructure developments before steps are taken toward implementation.

No panacea

“EU legislation and policies provide us with some powerful instruments for promoting nature conservation and the environment in these countries, but not a panacea for all problems – and probably cannot be expected to do so,” said Alberto Arroyo, said WWF’s Natura 2000 coordinator.

Legislation on paper must be applied in practice – and much of this comes down to the efforts not only of authorities and the European Commission, but also and especially citizens and environmental organizations as independent advocates for the preservation of Europe’s riches. Behind the European Commission’s action to save the Rospuda Valley in Poland were thousands of active citizens and organizations that raised public awareness and concern of the issue.

This experience is borne out by the newest EU member states Romania and Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, a growing public movement is actively opposing often illegal construction of ski and tourism facilities in many of the country’s most outstanding protected areas. In January, thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets for a week in the nation’s capital to protest – and ultimately stop – legislation that would have opened loopholes for developers to destroy natural areas throughout the country. According to a recent public opinion survey, 85% of Bulgarians now think that nature conservation and protected areas are a major concern in their country.

Prospects for next members

Many of the countries still waiting at the doorstep to EU accession bring with them a similarly rich dowry in natural wealth. Croatia, a candidate for EU membership, packs an astonishing diversity of natural riches in a relatively small area, from the striking karst landscape of the central part of the country to the marine wonders on the Adriatic coast. Turkey, also a candidate country, is a nature tycoon, boasting as many species of plants and animals as the rest of Europe combined, including many that are unique to the country.

Potential candidate countries in the Western Balkans like Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro host important freshwater ecosystems, including the most extended network of subterranean rivers and lakes in Europe, alluvial forests and wetlands of international importance, such as the Neretva delta (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Croatia), and Skadar/Shkodra Lake (Montenegro/Albania).

Preparation for implementation of EU nature conservation legislation and policies is in full swing in most countries. Croatia is already well on its way to bringing a large part of its natural treasures into the Natura 2000 network, and Serbia is just beginning a major EU-financed project to prepare the country for the legislation.

If the experience of past new member states is an indication, holding onto these treasures will require not only the committed application of key EU legislation, e.g. related to the Natura 2000, but also further reforms of EU policies and programmes, including the Common Agricultural Policy and the Regional Funds.

The best opportunity for implementing these reforms is coming up with the programming for the next financial period, 2013-20, which is already getting underway. It will be essential to ensure that environment and nature conservation are fully and effectively integrated into the new policies – and then also applied in actual practice.

For many of Europe’s greatest natural treasures, the EU still holds much promise – and threat.

Andreas Beckmann is Deputy Director of the WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme

Europe’s new buildings get welcome push to produce as much energy as they use

2009-04-23

Brussels, Belgium – WWF has welcomed a European Parliament vote today that proposes a 2019 deadline for all new houses, offices and shops built in the European Union to produce the same amount of energy they consume. The deadline will be 2016 for all new public buildings.

“We commend the vision of the legislators in making zero net energy buildings the cornerstone of the revised directive,” said Arianna Vitali Roscini, WWF’s Policy Officer for energy conservation in buildings.

“Technically and economically there is nothing standing in the way of an earlier deadline for all new constructions, which could help the EU achieve the 2020 emissions reduction targets.”

The vote, revising a law aiming at improving energy performance in buildings, needs to be confirmed by the Council of the Ministers later this year.

“There is huge potential for buildings to consume less energy and produce renewable energy on site” Vitali Roscini said.

“Promotion of energy efficiency is a winning strategy for Europe. It improves energy security, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, encourages technology development and creates new jobs. This is a structural change within reach, it is up to political will to make it happen.”

WWF is also satisfied that energy efficiency standards will apply to all major renovations, not only to those of surfaces above 1,000 square meters, as it was in the previous law. This is particularly relevant because existing constructions represent the majority of the European building stock (approximately 25% of residential buildings in Europe were built before 1945).

In Europe buildings use 40 per cent of energy and are linked to 36 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Much of that energy and CO2 can be saved with better insulation, improved heating and cooling systems, double glazing, efficient lighting and smart meters.

This week WWF has organised an exhibition at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to showcase the new generation of efficient buildings in France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Romania and the United Kingdom.

Note to the editors:
• The WWF exhibition, taking place from 21st to 24th April in LOW building1st floor, European Parliament in Strasbourg, is sponsored by MEP Silvia-Adriana Ticau. It features six super-efficient buildings:

WWF offices in Zeist, the Netherlands
Promitheus residential building in Athens, Greece
Star Dome One project in Rucar, Romania
ruralZed residential project in Grande Synthe, France
Kingspan Lighthouse in Garston, England, UK
Arthur Woll Haus, university building in Siegen, Germany.

For further information:
(In Strasbourg) Arianna Vitali Roscini, WWF’s Policy Officer for energy conservation in buildings
Tel: +32 2 743 88 16
E-mail: avitali@wwfepo.org

(In Brussels) Claudia Delpero, Communications Manager at WWF European Policy Office
Tel: +32 2 740 09 25
E-mail: cdelpero@wwfepo.org

Illegal wood soon excluded from EU markets

2009-04-22

Strasbourg / Brussels – WWF has welcomed today’s decision by the European Parliament to support strict rules to eliminate illegally harvested wood from the European market.

Based on today’s vote all companies in the wood supply chain will have to provide information about the source of the products they trade in the EU, one of the main markets for wood products. This will contribute to stop trade of illegally harvested wood and related products.

“Illegal logging is a major culprit for the increasing destruction of precious tropical forests and takes away a valuable source of income from local communities,” says Anke Schulmeister, Forests Policy Officer at WWF. “As a major producer and importer of timber, the EU has a key role to play for preservation of forests worldwide. It is only fair that companies are requested to install systems proving that the timber they sell is legal, respect the environment and the rights of local people. This must go together with adequate sanctions.”

Worldwide, approximately 13 million hectares of natural forest, particularly in the tropical area, are lost every year. The urgency for a strong European law is further demonstrated by the increasing demand for wood and wood products. According to recent UN data, demand for paper products in Europe is expected to increase by 80% by 2030.

The debate on a timber law for Europe started more than five years ago and has now reached its crucial phase. WWF urges the EU Agriculture Council, meeting in June in Luxembourg, to support the EU Parliament’s position and vote on a strong legislation to stop trade of illegal timber. If adopted in June, new measures should come into force in 2010/2011.

(C) André Bärtschi / WWF CANON

Proposed Bulgarian Energy Strategy Needs Overhaul

2009-03-28

The energy strategy recently proposed by the Bulgarian government needs a complete overhaul according to WWF and other Bulgarian NGOs. Rather than respond to new opportunities and challenges, including EU priorities for energy and climate, the proposed strategy is backward looking, with many elements based on plans from as far back as the 1950s.

“The energy strategy that the Bulgarian government has proposed is completely inadequate, looking backward rather than forward,” said Georgi Stefanov, WWF’s Climate and Energy Office in Bulgaria. “Bulgaria needs a modern strategy for developing a low-carbon energy sector in support of policies to combat climate change, stimulate energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel consumption, rather than a collection of dusted off projects from the 1950s and 1980s.”

Rather than focusing on improving energy efficiency and promoting “clean” and renewable energy technologies, the proposed strategy calls for expanding production capacity particularly around nuclear and coal.

Two to three new coal plants are planned that would run on lignite coal, the “dirtiest” coal in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The most expensive feature of the strategy is construction of a new nuclear power plant in the town of Belene. The projects included in the plan will cost a minimum of €30 billion.

EU priorities for nature conservation and environment are given little consideration by the strategy. Plans to develop 4 large hydro power plants on the Danube and two smaller rivers have conservationists particularly worried as they could cut off fish migration routes and harm a variety of ecosystem services on which people depend.

Bulgaria continues to have one of the highest intensities of energy use in Europe. Increasing energy efficiency would therefore be an obvious first step toward cutting energy use and thus reducing the amount of energy that needs to be produced in the first place. Despite this, energy efficiency gets short-shrift in the government’s strategy.

WWF and its partners calculate that it would be possible to almost double electricity capacity if a third of the planned investment in the Belene nuclear power plant were invested instead into increasing energy efficiency. A particular problem that needs to be addressed is significant loss and theft of electricity during transmission and distribution, which in some regions can reach as high as 25-30%.

Proposals outlined by WWF and other NGOs would allow Bulgaria to develop the respective low-carbon or carbon-neutral industry and markets which would enable the country to achieve full independence from fossil fuels by 2040 as well as full independence from imports of energy.

Decreasing dependence on supplies of gas and uranium is a major concern for Bulgaria, which last winter was one of the countries most seriously affected by the cut-off in Russian gas supplies to Europe. Bulgaria currently imports more than 70% of its primary energy sources.

WWF and its partners also criticize the draft government document for taking a characteristic top-down approach, rather than adopting measures to provide planning and support on a local level, i.e. to use a decentralised approach. The government draft misses the opportunity to support decentralised, energy-efficient solutions in households, public services, industry, transport, agriculture, etc., including stimulating energy-independent municipalities. Also missing are prescriptions of specific and measurable steps and adequate funding to support the development of regional and local plans as well as lay out plans for the business sector to promote energy efficiency and energy independence.

Contact:
Georgi Stefanov, Climate and Energy Officer, WWF-DCP/Bulgaria

WWF gives Europe a roadmap to Copenhagen

2009-02-27

Brussels, Belgium: With a series of critical European Union meetings on a new global climate deal about to begin, WWF has set out what Europe needs to do to grow in a green way while contributing to helping the world avoid passing the 2 degree threshold of warming that presents unacceptable risks of catastrophic climate change.

“There is a clear link to be made between ambitious climate policies and a new phase of economic growth,” said Stephan Singer, Director of Energy Programme at WWF International.

“The recent financial bailouts prove that when governments decide to fix a problem, money and regulatory instruments are there. There is no excuse to treat the climate crisis with less support and attention.”

The WWF roadmap to a successful new global agreement in Copenhagen in December would see Europe radically strengthen its announced commitments of cutting emissions by just 20 per cent by 2020 and 50 per cent by 2050.

European environment ministers will consider target developed and undeveloped country emissions to take to Copenhagen at Monday’s EU Environment Council meeting in Brussels.

Commit to zero net emissions

Based on various studies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios, WWF says that emissions will have to be reduced by at least 80 percent by 2050 globally to keep warming below 2°C. In compliance with its fair share of responsibility, the EU must commit to net zero emissions by 2050.

The IPCC also said that industrial countries will have to reduce their greenhouse gases by between 25 and 40% by 2020. The current EU target is only 20%, with a possibility to increase to 30% if other developed nations will join an international agreement.

These targets are clearly at the lower end of the IPCC scale, and even lower in reality considering that EU countries are allowed to fulfil up to two thirds of their commitment by way of certificates for projects in developing countries (the so-called CDM credits).

At the forthcoming Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) meeting on Tuesday March 10, European finance ministers will consider both the plan to boost economic recovery in Europe and financing climate protection measures.

WWF said Ecofin must come to grips with the fact that so far EU countries have failed to seriously face the challenge and to see the opportunities created by a greener economy.

Today, the fossil fuel energy sector in the EU-15 countries still receives about €20 billion of subsidies, equal to 0.2% Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Europe imports about 4.8 billion barrels of oil per year, equal to 3% of GDP. Natural gas imports are another 3% of GDP.

According to the European Commission, between 600,000 and 900,000 jobs can be created by renewable energy by 2020, compared to today’s 150,000 jobs. As a comparison, the cement and the steel sectors – some of those crying wolf about strong climate measure – employ about 60,000 and 300,000 people respectively.

With finance to developing countries being touted as a make or break issue at Copenhagen, WWF is calling for European contributions for clean technology and reduced deforestation in developing countries to
amount to €35 billion per year, in addition to the long-time promised 0.7% GDP for development aid.

Funding of climate protection measures (avoidance, adaptation and forest protection) needs to be sustainable, predictable and controlled in a transparent manner by the international community.

The European Commission’s current proposal also fails to address the enormous potential of energy efficiency, with an almost complete lack of concrete proposals for technology co-operation.

WWF says that the EU financing of technology development and research should be increased by a factor of 10 compared to current levels by 2020, particularly for renewable energies, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The EU should also promote the setting up of a technology action programme under the UNFCCC to protect intellectual property rights and promote innovation.

Outcomes from the Ecofin and Environment Council meetings are scheduled to be considered by EU Heads of State at a European Council meeting on Thursday 19th and Friday 20th March. Some issues however may carry over to when Sweden assumes the presidency of the EU