WWF publishes roadmap to a more sustainable Europe

A new report from WWF shows that resource efficiency alone could generate over €300bn a year for the EU economy.

Entitled From crisis to opportunity: Five steps to sustainable European economies, the report also shows that the emerging ecological disaster is very likely to dwarf the current economic crisis, in line with key findings from the recent European Environent Agency 2015 State of the Environment report. 

Damages from floods have cost more than €150bn over the past 10 years, air pollution costs around €537bn every year and EU industries import every year more than €300bn of raw materials no longer available in Europe.

The report's publication coincides with a meeting in Brussels of the 28 European Economic and Finance Ministers to agree on the new €315bn European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) proposed by President Juncker to boost economic activity and job creation.

Sébastien Godinot, WWF economist and author of the report, said: “Instead of the short-term ”grow dirty and clean up later” flawed narrative, President Juncker and EU leaders should look at the real symptoms of our troubled economies: diminishing natural resources and markets failing to take this into account. It’s simple: no economy can develop without natural resources.”

The report presents a five –step policy roadmap for Europe to build sustainable economies focused on achievable goals in the next five years. Five key enabling frameworks should be integrated to deliver maximum results, WWF maintains: climate and energy, resource efficiency and management, fiscal and financial policies, global sustainable development leadership and an overarching new strategy for Europe from now to 2050. 

Picture credit: &copy  Ashestosky | Dreamstime.com