More Funding For Sustainable Farm-based Proteins, As George Eustice Visits Innovative Farm

02.07.2022

The Environment Secretary will announce funding to improve the efficiency and sustainability of farm-based protein production.

Speaking at the Devon County Show, Environment Secretary, George Eustice, will announce further funding for research projects that will help boost farmers’ businesses and help improve the environmental impact of farming.

The recent Food Strategy committed to spend £270 million on research and development in the Farming Innovation Programme up to 2029. This Programme is designed to bring together farmers, growers, businesses and researchers for collaborative, industry-led research and development that will drive up the productivity, profitability and resilience of England’s farming sectors, whilst helping to improve the environment.

The Environment Secretary will confirm that in July, £12.5m from the Farming Innovation Programme will be set aside for research and development focused on ‘sustainable farm-based proteins’, in partnership with UKRI this funding will be made available for farmers, growers, businesses and academics to collaborate on projects that seek to improve the efficiency and sustainability of farm-based protein production, including protein crops like beans and peas and traditional livestock production, in order to help boost domestic production of healthy and sustainable food.

This might be achieved through the development of new methane reducing feeds and supplements, or the breeding of new sustainable and resilient crops and livestock.

The Environment Secretary will also showcase an example of innovative technology that is helping farmers capture the methane from slurry stores and turn it into biomethane, creating an additional income stream for farmers. Bennamann in Truro, Cornwall has pioneered this innovative approach building on world-leading science to help livestock farms of any size to cover their manure slurry lagoons, capture the fugitive emissions they produce, establish energy independence and improve business profitability through lower bills and sales of high value biomethane.

Environment Secretary, George Eustice, said:

Improving farm profitability and tackling environmental challenges requires

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (JillWellington)

us to allow the natural cycle of life to operate fully. Rather than seeing farm wastes like slurry as a problem and a cost, we need to start recognising that they are actually a resource that could be monetised to boost farm incomes.

Cornwall has a long history of pioneering new technology and it is at the forefront of new approaches that could revolutionise the way we manage farm yard manure to create a new income stream for farmers and generate a green fuel that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Bennamann is working with the Local Authority and six of its farms to turn waste methane into biomethane. The biogas results from the anaerobic digestion of manure stored in the slurry lagoon on each farm, which can then be processed into a sustainable, commercially viable product as compressed gas or liquid fuel. That fuel will be able to power lorries and tractors, heat households and businesses, provide hot water and even charge electric vehicles. The Council plans to run its road maintenance vehicle fleet on this greener source of fuel. There is even a New Holland methane tractor in production, with Bennamann able to supply the tractor’s fuel on farm at a fixed period discounted price from the waste on farm.

For a 150 head dairy farm, the system creates biomethane worth approximately £30,000 in additional income for the dairy farm and it removes about half of the methane generated by the herd, making a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: GOV.UK

Limited Prices Of Basic Foodstuffs

01.07.2022

At session, the government of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Decree on limiting the price of basic foodstuffs, in order to protect the market and prevent distortions in the formation of prices of goods that are extremely important for supplying consumers, especially poorer category.

At session, the Decision on temporary restriction of exports of basic agri-food products important for the population was passed, which determines the amount of sunflower seed oil in retail packages for which exports are allowed on a monthly basis.

At the session, the Decree on the temporary measure of limiting the price of gas and compensating for the differences in the price of natural gas procured from imports or produced in the Republic of Serbia in case of disturbances on the natural gas market was adopted.

This regulation aims to eliminate the consequences of the jump in the price of that energy source, mitigate the consequences of the energy crisis and protect economies and citizens who are instructed in its use, as well as to ensure normal supply to all consumers and provide these entities with the right to compensation.

The government also adopted an amended Decree on the limitation of the price of oil derivatives, which extends the restriction until 31 July of the current year.

Given the global disturbance in the market of petroleum products and the energy crisis in the world, the Government adopted a Decision on a temporary ban on the export of Eurodiesel EN 590 in order to prevent shortages and ensure a secure supply of the market with this derivative.

Due to the increase in producer prices of petroleum products in the previous period, and in order to preserve macroeconomic stability and standards of citizens and uninterrupted supply of oil derivatives to the market, the session decided to temporarily reduce excise duties on petroleum products – leaded gasoline, unleaded gasoline and gas oils by 20 percent.

This Decision shall apply from 1 July 2022 and ending on 31 July 2022.

The government of Serbia also adopted amendments to the Decree on criteria, conditions and manner of calculation of receivables and liabilities between the buyer-producer and electricity supplier, which further simplified the procedure for energy production for own needs from RES.

The changes will enable additional shortening of procedures and reduction of costs for customers-producers who use the entire produced electricity only for their own consumption, and do not deliver excess energy to the transmission, distribution or closed distribution system.

Source: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

UN Environment Programme And European Investment Bank Join Forces To Reduce Pollution In The Marine And Coastal Environment

01.07.2022

plastic waste ocean — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Naja Bertolt Jensen)

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) launched the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Mediterranean Pollution Hot Spots Technical Assistance initiative, which aims to reduce pollution in the Mediterranean marine and coastal environment.

As part of the USD 5 million Hot Spots Pollution project, the initiative aims to promote adequate and sound water, wastewater, solid waste and industrial emissions management in the Southern Mediterranean region, thereby reducing health risks and enhancing access to safe drinking water and sanitation services.

The initiative was launched on the sidelines of the UN Oceans Conference in Lisbon by Vice President of the EIB, Ricardo Mourinho Félix, and Susan Gardner, Director of UNEP’s Ecosystems Division. The two agreed to support preparation of priority investment projects to reduce pollution in the marine and coastal environments of the three Southern Mediterranean countries, namely Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia.

“Untreated discharges of wastewater represent a major problem for Mediterranean ecosystems and the health of the population living in the region. Many large coastal cities still lack a wastewater treatment system, and many existing systems are based on outdated and inefficient technologies,” said Susan Gardner. “This joint GEF-EIB-UNEP project will pool resources to decrease pollution and improve the marine ecosystems and the health of people living in the Mediterranean region.”

According to the 2021 State of Finance for Nature report, in order for the world to meet its climate change, biodiversity and land degradation targets, a total of USD 8.1 trillion is required between now and 2050. The Technical Assistance initiative is a step forward toward bridging this gap.

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the most highly valued seas in the world. The region comprises a vast set of coastal and marine ecosystems that deliver valuable benefits to all its 250 million coastal inhabitants. But the Mediterranean Sea is facing multiple pressures caused by human activities, including chemical contamination, eutrophication, pollution by marine litter and over-exploitation.

The technical assistance provided under the Mediterranean Hot Spots Investment Programme (MeHSIP) will be geared towards helping promoters accelerate the preparation of financeable projects in the water and environment sectors that will tackle these pressures.

Ricardo Mourinho Felix, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank said: “The state of the Mediterranean Sea is crucial for biodiversity conservation, the availability of clean water resources and to sustain jobs that rely on it. The EIB is one of the largest lenders to the global water sector. I am pleased to intensify our long-standing cooperation with UNEP to support the depollution of the Mediterranean. It will contribute to the objectives of the Clean Ocean Initiative set up to improve the health of the oceans globally.”

The USD 5 million Mediterranean Pollution Hot Spots Investment Project is one of the, USD 42 million, GEF-funded MedProgramme’s child projects implemented by UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan – Barcelona Convention.

The launch of the Technical Assistance initiative marks progress toward realising commitments taken at the 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 22) to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols on regional prevention and pollution reduction measures from wastewater treatment plants.

Source: UNEP

Latvia, Austria, Slovakia have EU’s largest gas stores

30.06.2022

gas_pipeline_gasovod — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

After clinching a deal on mandatory gas storage last month, Latvia, Austria and Slovakia currently have the largest gas stores for next winter compared to annual consumption.

Slovakia, for example, has already filled its stores to 36 per cent of its yearly consumption, data published by the association of gas infrastructure operators shows.

It also has a storage facility in Czechia connected to the Slovak distribution network. With these stores, Slovakia has more than half of the consumption covered and should survive the next winter without major restrictions even if Russia completely stops gas imports to Europe.

Within the EU, only Austria and Latvia have higher storages when not counting Slovak facilities in Czechia, although numbers are not known for Estonia and Lithuania. Austria has reserves equal to 43.3 per cent of the annual consumption, while Latvia leads the EU with more than 78 per cent.

European Union negotiators agreed last month on mandatory gas storage obligations for EU countries, aiming for the bloc’s stores to be at least 85 per cent full by 1 November 2022.

The agreement, which aims for storage to be shared between EU countries “in a spirit of solidarity”, follows a winter of concern about low EU gas storage, high energy prices and disruptions in the supply of Russian gas.

Slovakia’s economy ministry has previously announced that it wants to have enough gas in the storage tanks to last the next winter before the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is shut down for repairs. How long the reserves would last also depends on how cold the winter will be.

There is, however, a catch. Not all gas in Slovak storage tanks necessarily belongs to Slovakia. Any company, including foreign ones, can have gas stored. The government can, however, block this gas for the benefit of vulnerable consumers if needed.

However, the shutdown of Nord Stream 1 is expected in the next few days. Fear is that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use this shutdown to stop the imports completely. EU countries, therefore, prepare for the worst. Germany has already declared the second warning level of its three-levels crisis plan.

Germany has reserves filled only to 14.55 per cent. According to German Economy Minister Robert Habeck, the country faces the threat of industrial shutdowns if limited supplies do not improve by winter.

Source: EURACTIV.com/EURACTIV.sk

Blue Economy Can Help Members Boost Offshore Renewables

30.06.2022

“An important part of the solution to today’s energy crisis may lay with our oceans as a source of local and abundant renewable energy”, said Roland Roesch, Deputy-Director of IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Centre, at the fourth meeting of the Collaborative Framework on Ocean Energy/Offshore Renewables, “which also may foster a blue economy benefiting coastal areas and island territories. But we need to create the enabling frameworks to speed up its deployment.”

Co-facilitated by Tonga and Italy, the virtual meeting was attended by 57 participants from 32 Members and States in Accession, as well as representatives of the industry and international organisations, including Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Ocean Energy Europe. The meeting’s purpose was to share best practices to accelerate the deployment of offshore renewables globally.

According to IRENA estimates, 2000 gigawatts (GW) of installed offshore wind capacity will be needed to keep the goal of limiting global temperature to 1.5°C and achieve net zero by 2050. However, this progress will not come without challenges.

H.E. ‘Akau’ola, Co-Facilitator of the Collaborative Framework and Ambassador of Tonga to the UAE, said renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydrogen were dominating the energy base. But, he said, there is a sufficient body of quantitative evidence that offshore renewable energy has enormous untapped potential to drive the global energy transition.

Dorothea Damkjaer, Chief Advisor – Green Diplomacy and Climate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, introduced a new initiative to promote such a collaboration: The Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA). Founded by Denmark, IRENA and GWEC, the complementary initiative has the ambition to create a global driving force for the uptake of offshore wind through political mobilisation.

“GOWA intends to have a significant role in convening governments and industry to address issues pertaining to the deployment of offshore renewables and sharing best practices for overcoming obstacles. Its workstreams will be determined by members’ interest and willingness to collaborate. The aim is to achieve a total global offshore wind capacity of 380 GW by 2030, with 35 GW of annual new capacity on average each year across the 2020s,” she added.

Denmark, IRENA and GWEC called on all interested members and parties to leverage GOWA to support the acceleration of offshore renewable energy solutions across different sectors. Sharing enablers of best practices to accelerate the uptake of ocean renewables, Rebecca Williams, Global Head of Offshore, GWEC, said offshore wind flourishes in a policy environment that significantly reduces the time to grant permits and monetise all the value of offshore renewables via innovative electricity procurement approaches as discussed in the EU.

The meeting concluded with a live polling session, inviting participants to share their views on the focus of working groups under the Collaborative Framework. Members prioritised facilitating and expediting permitting processes for offshore wind and instruments for scaling up investment for ocean energy as the priority to be addressed by policy makers.

Source: IRENA

Norway Has Key Opportunities to Advance its Transition and Help Lead the World on Clean Energy Technologies

29.06.2022

oslo-norveška — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

As a resource-rich country on the leading edge of many clean energy technologies, Norway is uniquely well placed for the clean energy transition and now needs to advance strategies to tackle emissions in sectors where they are hardest to reduce in order to meet its ambitious climate targets, according to a new in-depth policy review by the International Energy Agency.

Since the IEA’s last policy review in 2017, Norway has remained a global pillar of energy security with its ample reserves of oil and gas produced in an environmentally responsible manner. Norway is a significant and reliable international supplier, exporting close to 90 per cent of its energy production.

“I commend Norway’s efforts to boost its near-term oil and gas production in response to war in Ukraine, helping to stabilise global supplies, especially to its European neighbours,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol, who is launching the report today with Terje Aasland, Norway’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy. “At the same time, Norway is leading efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas production, especially through the electrification of offshore platforms.

Norway has updated its already ambitious climate targets with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90-95 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050, excluding carbon sinks. The country’s robust carbon pricing system, under which 85 per cent of domestic emissions are either covered by the European Union Emissions Trading System or subject to a carbon tax, provides a solid basis for delivering this goal.

Nonetheless, the report finds that Norway has considerable work ahead to meet its ambitious targets. Since the country has substantially electrified its energy demand and has already cut emissions from power generation to nearly zero, thanks to abundant hydropower, many of the easy wins for reducing emissions have already been achieved. The remaining reductions will be more complex, challenging and costly, notably in transport and industry.

The report notes that Norway’s existing energy sector expertise can help it achieve a successful energy and climate transition. If the right policies are put in place, Norway is well placed to decarbonize a wide range of sectors through technologies such as electric vehicles, hydrogen, and carbon capture, utilization and storage. Norway is already a leader in carbon capture, and its impressive Longship project, which encompasses two full-scale capture facilities and one storage facility in the North Sea, will further help to advance this technology for the world.

The IEA report recommends that Norway leverage its renewables-based electricity system and develop detailed, long-term sector-by-sector roadmaps backed by specific policy measures.

“I believe Norway has an important opportunity to show the world how to undertake complex emissions reductions, an issue all countries will need to face,” said Dr Birol. “I hope this report will help Norway navigate its own path toward a low-emissions society and help lead the world on advancing low-carbon technologies.”

Source: IEA

EU Energy Ministers Endorse Faster Permitting Of Renewables

28.06.2022

Photo-illustration: Pixabay (SailingOnChocolateRoses)

The EU Energy Ministers have agreed their position on changes to the Renewable Energy Directive and Energy Efficiency Directive, paving the way for faster build-out of renewables and streamlined permitting for wind farms. They agreed the Renewable Energy Directive should now include additional measures as proposed in the REPowerEU Action Plan to increase the EU’s energy security. EU Energy Ministers will now finalise the changes in negotiations with the European Parliament in autumn.

The EU Energy Council agreed its position on a revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED) and Energy Efficiency Directive (EED). EU Energy Ministers included key elements of the REPowerEU Action Plan, the EU’s energy response to the war in Ukraine, in their amendments to the RED. In light of the ongoing war the ministers stressed the need to accelerate the deployment of home-grown renewables in order to strengthen EU’s energy security. They agreed the expansion of renewables and the linked expansion of on- and offshore grid infrastructure in Europe should be considered a matter of “overarching public interest” and “public safety”.

To deliver the necessary build-out of renewables the EU Energy Ministers agreed on clear deadlines for the permitting of new projects and facilitated permitting of repowering projects. For repowering only the environmental impacts that are additional to the already existing turbines will be subject to environmental impact assessments. To ensure that wind energy development goes hand in hand with biodiversity protection the European Council now encourages a population-based approach to biodiversity that will help maintain and improve the health of endangered bird populations.

“Europe now wants 510 GW of wind energy by 2030, up from 190 GW today. That’s 39 GW of new wind farms every year. Europe will only achieve that if it speeds up permitting. It’s very good that EU Energy Ministers have now agreed to do precisely that. All new wind farms should be permitted in maximum two years. Governments should ensure this deadline covers all permits, including the environmental impact assessment and grid permits.”, says WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson.

To achieve a 55 percent greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 as compared to 1990 levels, renewables must be used beyond the power sector. Member States committed to assessing and removing the barriers for corporate renewable power purchase agreements. This will make more clean and competitive wind energy available to corporate consumers and will support the broader decarbonisation of Europe’s economy especially in energy intensive industries.

Today electricity is only one quarter of all energy consumed in the EU. By 2050 it will be three quarters, 57 percent of the EU energy system will be electrified directly, another 18 percent will be electrified indirectly via renewable hydrogen and its derivates. With the adoption of specific sector targets, the EU Energy Ministers further strengthened the position of renewable hydrogen. They agreed a mandatory renewable hydrogen target in industry of 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035 as well as an indicative renewable hydrogen target in transport of 5.2 percent by 2030.

Member States are now ready to start discussions with the European Parliament on the revised RED. The next step is for the European Parliament to vote its position on the Directive in its Industry and Energy Committee this 13 July. Final negotiations could then begin in autumn.

Source: WindEurope

Stellantis Expands Relationship With Vulcan Energy Becoming Shareholder In Decarbonized Lithium Company

28.06.2022

Stellantis N.V. and Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd. today announced Stellantis’ €50 million (A$76 million) equity investment in Vulcan and an extension of the original binding offtake agreement to 10 years. The equity investment will go towards Vulcan’s planned production expansion drilling in its producing Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field (URVBF). Vulcan is already producing geothermal energy from its URVBF and plans to produce lithium hydroxide with zero fossil fuels and net zero carbon footprint as part of the Zero Carbon Lithium™ Project.

“Making this highly strategic investment in a leading lithium company will help us create a resilient and sustainable value chain for our European electric vehicle battery production,” said Carlos Tavares, Stellantis CEO. “We continue our quest of forming strong relationships with partners who share our values as we collectively fight against global warming and provide clean, safe and affordable mobility to our customers.”

“Stellantis’ significant investment in Vulcan and the Zero Carbon Lithium™ Project represents a strong statement by one of the world’s largest automakers regarding sustainable and strategic sourcing of battery materials,” said Vulcan Managing Director Dr Francis Wedin. “We are fully aligned with Stellantis’ decarbonisation and electrification goals, which represent some of the most ambitious in the industry. It is encouraging to see a leading automaker investing in local, low carbon lithium production for electric vehicles. As our largest offtaker, we look forward to deepening our relationship with Stellantis as a substantial shareholder in Vulcan and our Zero Carbon Lithium™ business.”

As part of the Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis announced plans of reaching 100 percent of passenger car battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales mix in Europe and 50 percent passenger car and light-duty truck BEV sales mix in the United States by 2030. Stellantis will be the industry champion in climate change mitigation, becoming carbon net zero by 2038, with a 50 percent reduction by 2030.

Stellantis recently announced its North American lithium hydroxide supply agreement.

Source: Stellantis

Vouchers in the value of RSD 15,000 for 200,000 citizens

27.06.2022

tara-mountain-srbija — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced in his address to the public new support for about 200,000 eligible citizens in the form of vouchers in the value of RSD 15,000 for a vacation in Serbia.

“This is exclusive news that we have been working on for a long time and we will invest a lot of money in it”, Vucic said and explained that vouchers will be available to pensioners – all those who have exercised the right to a pension in Serbia and abroad, pupils, students and the unemployed registered at the National Employment Service.

As stated on the website vaucerisrbija.com, vouchers will be used for accommodation services lasting at least five nights and in catering facilities outside of the place of residence, as well as places of study of voucher users. The voucher cannot be used to pay for food, drinks, health and other services, sojourn tax and more.

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Natural History Centre Opened In Ovcar Banja

27.06.2022

Photo: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic opened, together with Minister of Environmental Protection Irena Vujovic, Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Tomislav Momirovic and Mayor of Cacak Milun Todorovic the Natural History Centre in Ovcar Banja.

On this occasion, Brnabic pointed out that RSD 200 million had been invested in various projects in this part of Serbia in the past 16 months, and that with the completion of a highway to Pozega, the traffic will be completely moved out from the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge.

When you have not been doing things since 1954, you cannot do them in a few weeks, she stated and said that Serbia has a responsible government that wants to do what was missed.

We also want to contribute to the protection of the environment, beauty and tourist potentials of Serbia, the Prime Minister emphasised, adding that Cacak will build a biomass power plant.

The Prime Minister added that a rehabilitation centre will also be built in the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge, which will be part of the Cacak General Hospital.

We are doing that together with the Serbian Orthodox Church, because “Vila Sirotica” is the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which will cede it for that purpose, and we will give other facilities, said Brnabic.

According to her, with the completion of the highway to Pozega, the traffic will be moved out from the gorge and it will be an opportunity to present all the beauties of the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge and Ovcar Banja.

We are working continuously on expanding protected areas everywhere, including the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge, the Prime Minister stated.

Brnabic previously visited the Ovcar and Kablar Gorge and Lake Medjuvrsje, where she attended a presentation of a mud extraction project, worth almost €40 million.

Vujovic specified that approximately RSD 30 million were invested in the construction and equipping of the Natural History Centre, which houses a part for scientific research activities and a museum with exhibitions of flora and fauna.

According to her, in this centre, visitors, especially the youngest ones, will be able to learn about the nature and importance of the environment, which is significant for raising awareness on this topic and contributing to our goal to develop systemic education for this area throughout Serbia.

The Minister recalled that last year the Decree on the proclamation of the area of exceptional characteristics “Ovcar and Kablar Gorge” enabled the revision of the protection and doubled the surface of the protected area, from 2,250 to 4,910 hectares, and that the first degree protection regime was established in certain parts.

Source: The Government of the Republic of Serbia

Inside The Push To Eliminate Lead From Paint

25.06.2022

While many use paint to cover the blemishes on their walls, each coat they apply could end up leaving a stain on the planet. Despite legally binding controls in 87 countries, lead is still commonly used in paint, and experts warn that it’s time to stop brushing aside the hazardous chemical’s human and environmental health impacts.

Every year, an estimated 900,000 people die from lead exposure. Lead exposure can also result in increased risk of antisocial behavior, cardiovascular disease and reduced fertility. Studies have found that childhood exposure to lead results in economic losses of 977 billion US dollars annually.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is taking the lead in addressing this critical issue through pushing for stricter legislation and providing technical support. Alongside the Global Environment Facility, it recently published Lead Paint Reformulation Technical Guidelines to help manufacturers phase out lead. This builds upon UNEP’s long-running advocacy work, including a successful 20-year campaign to end leaded fuel.

“Lead is extremely hazardous, and there’s no known level of exposure considered safe,” says Mihaela Claudia Paun, UNEP Programme Management Officer. “We must establish laws to phase out lead in paint. The newly released guidelines support evidence-based policymaking and inform decisions at all stages of the policy development process.”

Putting the lid on lead

Lead is commonly added to make paint more vivid and moisture-resistant. But the production, use and decay of lead paint all release the chemical into the air, dust, and soil. From there, it is inhaled, ingested and comes into contact with skin. Lead paint is particularly popular in playgrounds and on furniture. Young children, people with occupational exposure and many living in older houses are especially vulnerable.

However, lead exposure is preventable. The most effective measure is introducing laws that eliminate it at its source, say experts. In 2011, UNEP and the World Health Organization formed the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint. A voluntary partnership between governments, academia, non-governmental organizations and paint companies, it is dedicated to phasing out paints that have intentionally added lead.

The Alliance helps States develop and implement laws to curb the use of lead paint. It also encourages industry to voluntarily stop the manufacture, import and sale of lead paints and supports civil society groups and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the health and environmental impacts of lead paint

The Alliance has recommended that there be no more than 90 micrograms (mg) of lead in each kilogram of paint, a total that experts say provides the best available health protection while still being technically feasible.

In 2012, only 52 countries had mandatory legal requirements focused on lead in paint. Now, with support from the Lead Paint Alliance, 87 countries have such laws, and the Alliance is aiming to reach the 100 mark by 2023. UNEP is also working to introduce stricter lead limits in countries that have existing laws to ensure they can better protect human and environmental health.

UNEP data shows that 100 low- and middle-income countries have yet to set legal limits on lead paint, while six countries with lead paint laws had limits of 1,000 mg/kg or higher.

“While continuing to support countries to adopt lead paint laws, the Lead Paint Alliance is also looking at the issue of compliance and enforcement for countries that have already adopted such a law to ensure effective application on the ground,” says Sandra Averous-Monnery, UNEP’s Officer in charge, Head of Knowledge and Risk Unit.

Reforms and reformulation

Regardless of national laws, paint manufacturers should strive to limit or eliminate lead content from their products, according to the Alliance. Paint manufacturers from China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Jordan and Nigeria participated in a paint reformulation pilot project that informed UNEP’s technical guidelines.

“In countries where lead paint laws are yet to be enacted, more and more paint companies are moving towards voluntarily phasing out lead and aligning with stricter regulations,” says Averous-Monnery. “This is a good signal for the rest of the industry and governments. It demonstrates corporate social responsibility and prepares them for when a stricter legal limit is implemented.”

A recent lab test of an Ecuadorian company’s yellow paint found a lead content of 34,689 mg/kg before reformulation efforts. With technical guidance from UNEP, the company was able to produce an alternative paint that had less than 56 mg/kg of lead content. This is done through paint reformulation, which involves substituting lead pigment with less hazardous alternatives and may also require changes in the production process.

Binghua Wang, assistant general manager of Zhejian Tiannu Group Paint, an SME in China that participated in the pilot reformulation project, told UNEP that the company joined the project to protect human health and prepare itself for the future.

“There is ongoing public concern in our country about the effects of the use of lead paint on human health and the environment,” she says. Her company participated in the paint pilot project to support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and prepare for the introduction of new national lead paint standards, she says.

To picture a future free of lead paint, more paint manufacturers and countries should take action and improve legally binding controls, experts say.

“Countries and stakeholders have materials available to adopt lead pant laws for a success similar to the end of leaded fuel,” says Averous-Monnery. “This success would be possible only if all the stakeholders, regardless of whether they are partners of the Lead Paint Alliance or not, are committed and engaged.”

Source: UNEP

IRENA And OPEC Fund Join Forces To Unlock Investment In Energy Transition

24.06.2022

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) are ramping up efforts to advance renewable energy investment and enable access to sustainable finance in emerging and developing economies.

A Memorandum of Understanding signed today in Vienna by IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera and the Director-General of the OPEC Fund, Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, formalises the cooperation. In pursuit of the common objective of a just, inclusive and equitable energy transition aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, both sides agreed to mobilise finance, unlock investment and support project development on the ground.

IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera said: “The global energy transition must dramatically accelerate. To achieve net zero and universal energy access, our World Energy Transitions Outlook shows that we must nearly treble the speed of deployment of renewables and massively redirect investment towards transition. Our cooperation with the OPEC Fund will help unlock much needed capital in developing countries to bring economic growth, sustainable prosperity and jobs to people through renewables projects on the ground.”

OPEC Fund Director-General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa added: “We promote an inclusive and just energy transition that leaves no one behind. Our cooperation with IRENA will help to provide the necessary funds and facilitate access to innovative financing solutions, knowledge and technologies, as well as technical assistance for project development and capacity building to support the energy transition in our partner countries, particularly in Africa.”

At a practical level, both sides will closely collaborate to provide technical assistance and capacity building to project developers, creating a pipeline of bankable projects ready to be financed. They will also work to attract potential investors. The parties will also explore cooperation under the IRENA-managed Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform, the Climate Investment Platform (CIP), and OPEC Fund initiatives such as the planned Energy Access and Transition Trust Fund.

Both sides will also closely collaborate at UN Climate Conferences COP27 in Egypt in November 2022 and COP28 in the United Arab Emirates in November 2023.

Source: IRENA

Interdepartmental Working Group Formed To Achieve Goals Of Green Agenda

24.06.2022

At a session, the government of the Republic of Serbia passed an amended decision on temporary restriction of exports of basic agri-food products important to the population.

Given that Serbia, like many other countries, is facing increasing challenges due to pollution and climate change, members of the Government decided to form an Interdepartmental Working Group for Public Finance Reform to achieve the goals of the Green Agenda.

The establishment of the Working Group is a step towards achieving greener, more efficient and less carbon-intensive development.

At the session, consent was given to the Development Programme – a green programme of cooperation between science and economy, which is one of the programmes of public interest for the Republic of Serbia.

The programme will be implemented through scientific research projects and will aim at practical support of cooperation between science and business sector, based on the use of available scientific potentials and financing of research projects, as well as application of their results to further development of society and economy as a whole.

This support will play a significant role in solving vital problems of society and introducing young researchers to scientific research, as well as strengthening the professional capacity of scientific research institutions and creating new project teams.

As a programme of public interest, the “Prism” Programme of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia was adopted, which determines the conditions for announcing and the procedure for conducting a public call for scientific research projects in various fields.

It is necessary that the submitted projects are based on excellent ideas that in the future can have a significant impact on the development of science and research and the economy and society as a whole, development of research of strategic importance for agriculture, food production and environmental protection, experimental, practical and clinical research, social sciences and humanities in Serbia and raising the level of science in artificial intelligence.

The government has also set up a Commission for the Regulatory Framework for Improving the Employment of Roma in the Public Sector, a national minority recognised as a vulnerable and hard-to-employ population group.

The session also adopted the Strategic Master Plan for the Development of Tourism in Belgrade for the area of the archaeological site Belo brdo, Vinca.

At the suggestion of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Government decided to declare the Church of the Ascension of the Lord in Drenovac, the Holy Trinity in Brdarica and the Holy Great Martyr George in Macvanski Pricinovic as cultural monuments, having in mind their cultural and historical significance.

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New EIB-EBRD-WB Enterprise Survey: Are Companies In The Western Balkans Prepared For Another Crisis?

23.06.2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its economic fallout come just as firms in the Western Balkans are recovering from the COVID-19 shock. Today’s presentation “Business resilience in the Western Balkans at times of repeated shocks”, presented by the EIB’s Chief Economist Debora Revoltella at the Western Balkans Investment Framework Strategic Board in Rome, examines how firms in the region weathered the sharp downturn caused by the pandemic and how prepared they are to face future challenges. The results are derived from the report entitled Business Resilience in the Pandemic and Beyond, recently launched and jointly published by the EIB, the EBRD and the IMF, which covers a broader region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“The war in Ukraine is testing again the resilience of the Western Balkan economies as they recover from the pandemic,” said Debora Revoltella. “New risks and heightened uncertainty are putting cross-border flows and trade under pressure. This matters as our analysis shows that firms’ resilience and innovation capacity are linked to their participation in global value chains and trade. In this phase of potential deglobalisation trends, the Western Balkans should build on its competitive advantage of strong ties with the European Union and reinforce it further, as a springboard for faster development.”

Western Balkans — the impact of COVID-19

To date, firms have come through the pandemic better than initially feared. They lost 29 percent of turnover and shed 9 percent of their labour force, with the pandemic hitting contact-intensive services and smaller and medium-sized businesses especially hard. Nevertheless, massive policy support helped to prevent large-scale bankruptcies, with only 3 percent of firms in the region filing for insolvency or closing permanently.

The report shows that firms that were integrated into global value chains, those that had been more innovative in the past, those that were more digitalised and those with better quality management adapted better during the pandemic. They expanded their online presence, switched to remote work, adjusted production or took advantage of the available policy support more effectively.

Government programmes played a stabilising role by mitigating the stress of vulnerable firms, such as smaller businesses, standalone firms and those lacking overdraft facilities.

Openness to trade in the Western Balkans drives resilience, innovation and competitiveness

The report finds that the economies of the Western Balkans generally invest more in innovation than benchmark economies, although the process is led by adapting new technologies developed elsewhere. Opening up the global economy has been key to enable these countries to improve their comparative advantages and increase their competitiveness. The industrial composition of regions more integrated in global value chains is clearly focused on higher value-added products, while those that are less integrated are trading mainly manufacturing products with lower value added or raw materials.

The evidence in the report indicates that trade integration with developed economies, in particular the European Union, access to information and know-how through participation in global value chains, foreign licensed technology and modern management practices are among the most important ingredients for boosting innovation in the Western Balkans.

Financial gaps

The financial systems in the Western Balkans have held up well so far. Firms continue to rely largely on bank credit for external finance. Capital markets are underdeveloped, and the availability of venture capital, private equity and leasing is very limited. The share of credit-constrained firms in the Western Balkans is significantly higher among small firms compared to large ones (16 percent versus 7 percent). These credit constraints result from insufficient transparency of SMEs, as well as limitations in the risk assessment capacity of intermediaries. Going forward, the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine are likely to further impede firm financial access. Over time, higher policy rates will translate into tighter financing conditions, with the credit demand-credit supply gap even greater for SMEs. This is a concern, as having access to finance, including overdrafts, was a source of resilience for firms during the pandemic.

Green economy

The region is slowly shifting from a dependence on coal and oil to nuclear power and renewable energy, strengthening its energy security. However, until 2018, the region relied heavily on fossil fuels to generate three-quarters of its electricity. Several countries continue to provide generous subsidies that lower the price of gas and other fossil fuels for consumers, slowing down the motivation to cut emissions.

SMEs in the Western Balkans typically lack the incentives for greening their business models. Physical climate risk is already affecting SMEs in the Western Balkans, with 10 percent of Enterprise Survey respondents reporting losses from extreme weather events in the three years preceding the interview. Nevertheless, the study documents a limited awareness among SMEs of environmental issues since only 21 percent of SMEs are investing in energy efficiency, and among those not adopting any climate measures 59 percent of firms consider that such investment is not a priority. More specifically, the report shows that climate investments depend on both managerial capacity and access to finance. Effective intervention will address both financing constraints and bottlenecks in managerial awareness and capacity.

Source: European Investment Bank

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