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2024-07-31

EU Nature Restoration Law approved

The European Union Nature Restoration Law (NRL) had its final approval in June, with the objectives of restoring ecosystems, habitats and species in decline.  All EU countries will have to adopt a National Restoration Plan, with specific targets. By 2030, at least 30% of terrestrial, coastal, marine and freshwater habitats in an unfavorable state of conservation must be restored. By 2040 the percentage will increase to 60% and by 2050 to 90%. EU Member States will also have to ensure that no significant deterioration occurs in the areas subject to restoration. The NRL is an important part of the European Green Deal, providing for several important actions to achieve the nature recovery objectives: ●    Habitat Restoration: Implementation of measures to restore degraded habitats, such as forests, wetlands, rivers and coastal areas. ●    Species Reintroduction: Programs to reintroduce native species that have become extinct or are in danger of extinction. ●    Pollution Reduction: Actions to reduce soil, water and air pollution, which negatively affect ecosystems. ●    Sustainable Agriculture: Promotion of sustainable agricultural practices that protect biodiversity and natural resources. ●    Protection of Marine Areas: Creation and expansion of protected marine areas to conserve marine life and coastal ecosystems. ●    Monitoring and Reporting: Establishment of monitoring systems to track the progress of restoration actions and report results regularly. For bigger cities, the Nature Restoration Law foresees several actions, of which the following stand out: ●    Creation of Green Spaces: Increase the quantity and quality of parks, gardens and urban green areas to provide habitats for local fauna and flora. ●    Ecological Corridors: Establish ecological corridors that connect different green areas, allowing the safe movement of species and promoting biodiversity. ●    Green Roofs and Walls: Encourage the installation of green roofs and walls on buildings to improve air quality, reduce urban temperatures and create new habitats. ●    Rainwater Management: Implement sustainable rainwater management systems, such as rain gardens and retention basins, to reduce flood risk and improve water quality. ●    River and Stream Rehabilitation: Restore urban waterways to improve water quality, create aquatic habitats and reduce flood risk. ●    Promoting Urban Agriculture: Support the creation of community gardens and other forms of urban agriculture to increase food resilience and promote biodiversity. These actions to restore nature in cities will improve the quality of life of their inhabitants, providing leisure spaces, reducing pollution and mitigating the effects of climate change.

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2024-07-31

What is the European Green Deal

The European Green Deal (EGD) is a political and economic strategy that aims to make the European Union (EU) climate neutral by 2050, making the fight against climate change the new model of economic and social growth.  The EGD was presented by the European Commission in December 2019 and since then the 27 EU Member States have been producing legislation, launching initiatives and setting objectives, such as, for example, reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The EGD is a transversal strategy that covers several sectoral policies and a vast set of actions articulated in eight areas: 1. Increasing the EU's climate ambition (net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050) 2. Providing clean, affordable and safe energy 3. Mobilizing industry for a clean and circular economy 4. Building and renovating in an energy and resource efficient way 5. Zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment 6. Preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity 7. Ensuring a fair, healthy and ecological food system 8. Accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility The implementation of measures in these eight areas calls upon an essential pillar of the EGD, which is Research and Innovation. Another pillar of the EGD is the Just Transition Mechanism, with the mobilization of 100 billion euros to finance the investment necessary for the transition without leaving anyone behind.  Faced with the universal dimension of ecological problems and the climate threat, the EGD also aims to place Europe at the forefront of international negotiations on climate and biodiversity, through the so-called “green diplomacy” and providing financial support to countries on other continents. The European Green Deal is a complex and vast political, economic and social program, which faces challenges and implementation difficulties due to the contradictory interests that exist at the root of the problems it seeks to solve. Some important measures have been taken, at the end of long negotiations, such as the European Climate Law, in July 2021, and the Nature Restoration Law, in June 2024.  

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2024-07-31

The importance of biodiversity in cities

The  City's Natural Diversity conference took place on June 20-21, 2024, in Białystok, Poland. This event brought together scientists, experts, local government officials, and environmental activists to discuss issues related to protecting and promoting biodiversity in urban environments.  As part of the conference, attendees visited a number of public spaces in Białystok which were designed to be nature-friendly. These included the city’s apiary and the Marczukowskie Ponds. Białystok has established large areas of flower meadows that provide crucial habitats for various pollinators. Honeybees have also settled in an old tree trunk in the city's nature reserve, Rezerwat Zwierzyniecki. Additionally, several apiaries have been set up in different locations across the city, producing high-quality honey used for promotional purposes by the Białystok City Hall. The Marczukowskie Ponds, part of Białystok's blue-green infrastructure, have been developed and made accessible to residents. These interconnected water bodies and a small river serve as recreational areas for people as well as habitat for birds, amphibians, beavers, and other mammals. Other topics discussed at the conference included: ●    The importance of biodiversity in cities. ●    Methods of protecting nature in urban settings. ●    Science and education on urban biodiversity. ●    Protecting and creating wildlife habitat. ●    Managing rainwater. ●    The role of forests and trees in the city. ●    Adapting to climate change. ●    Sustainable urban planning. ●    Involving local communities. ●    Synergy and conflict of interests. Key takeaways from the conference Effective Communication: Collaboration requires open and regular communication among all stakeholders. Common Goals: Setting shared goals and values is crucial for effective partnerships. Flexibility: Partners must be willing to compromise and be flexible in their approach to project implementation. Long-Term Planning: Sustainability and durability of projects require long-term planning and commitment.  

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2024-06-04

Lentamente

Lentamente Societá Cooperativa Agricola has reclaimed and rehabilitated abandoned land and has established an urban social farm in the province of Benevento. Lentamente and its partners, including Coop La Solidarietà, use social farming as an innovative tool to respond to the socio-economic challenges faced by the local community. The social farming project ensures the social inclusion of disadvantaged communities and provides them with education and employment benefits. https://vimeo.com/710478650

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2024-02-28

Collection of 30 good ecological practices

The last 2 months have been a period when all EURECA Project partners have been preparing descriptions of good practices of environmental activities in the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Examples were found of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals set within the Agenda 2030. The SocLab Foundation described the developing energy cooperatives in Poland, which supply local communities with electricity from photovoltaics. Another interesting solution from Poland is flower meadows in cities instead of traditional lawns. Flowers in the city not only look beautiful, also give shelter and food to many useful insects and birds. In turn, the protection of birds from collisions with transparent glass is served by modern protective films at the University of Bialystok. Birds and small mammals have found good habitat on a renaturalized stretch of river in the center of the city of Bialystok. Raising curiosity, but also controversy, the Polish partner describes a solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation. With the same objective, explains a feeding model in a school canteen where meat is served only 2 days a week. Portugal's EDU.IN association focused on technological solutions, describing methods for producing energy from waste and solar, recycle water for reuse, sustainable construction, and did not shy away from topics related to urban biodiversity, using Lisbon and its horticultural parks and green corridors as examples. Gramigna Associazione described a store operating on the principle of a cooperative of local suppliers farmers, a commerce that supports the local community and environmentally friendly crops. Partner IWS from Spain described innovative seawater desalination plant, an innovative urban garden next to a large shopping center, and a climate adaptation plan for the Zaragoza city. An association of agricultural school graduates from the Czech Republic showed methods for restoring degraded areas, methods for preserving tree alleys, a biogas plant and a store with recycled items.   These are just some of the eco-friendly good practices described. All of them, with broader descriptions, will soon be available to read on the EURECA Academy website. https://www.eurecaedu.eu

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2024-01-16

Eureca - European Urban Ecology Academy

Partner group from Poland, Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal and Italy, started the project 'EURECA - European URban ECology Academy' in the framework of the Erasmus+ adult education programme at the beginning of September 2023. An educational programme on environmental protection and pro-environmental behaviour will be developed at the level of the individual, household, headquarters/office of the organisation/institution/company. The target audience is people who are not professionally involved in ecology and the aim is to transfer knowledge about practical solutions that can be applied by the 'common man', who has no specialist ecological or technical knowledge. The main outcome of the project will be an online training programme. An e-learning platform will be created and partners will carry out a full remote training cycle in Poland and in the Czech Republic, Spain, Portugal and Italy in 2025. Our consortium: Fundacja SocLab - Poland (project leader) Gramigna Associazione - Italy EDU.IN Associação para a Educação Integral - Portugal Spolek absolventů a přátel zemědělské školy v Chrudimi z. s.. - Czech Republic Internet Web Solutions - Spain The project is co-financed by the EU under the Erasmus+ programme.

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