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News article28 May 2021Brussels

EU Green Week 2021 puts the spotlight on zero pollution

Pollution affects us all. It is the largest environmental cause of multiple mental and physical diseases and of premature deaths, especially among children, people with certain medical conditions and the elderly. It is also one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss.

From 31 May to 4 June 2021, EU Green Week - Europe’s biggest annual event on environmental policy - will explore possibilities to make the EU’s zero pollution ambition a reality. It will allow citizens across the EU to discuss zero pollution from its many angles at the virtual conference, and at almost 600 partner events taking place all over Europe. Register for free for the high-level virtual conference which includes dozens of virtual sessions, exhibitions and more.

Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, who will be opening the event said:

Environmental pollution negatively affects our health, especially of the most vulnerable and socially deprived groups, and is also one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. We see that pollution is an issue that Europeans care very deeply about, as an unprecedented number of partner events are taking place across Europe this year. I am convinced that this year’s Green Week will be an inspiring and mobilising success and it will show the EU’s ambition to lead global action against pollution.

Environmental pollution negatively affects our health, especially of the most vulnerable and socially deprived groups, and is also one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. We already see that pollution is an issue that Europeans care very deeply about, as an unprecedented number of partner events are taking place across Europe this year. I am convinced that this year’s Green Week will be an inspiring and extraordinary mobilising success and it will show the EU’s willingness ambition to lead the global fight action against pollution.

EU Green Week comes hot on the heels of the Commission’s adoption of the EU Action Plan: “Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil” – a key deliverable of the European Green Deal. This Action Plan sets out an integrated vision for 2050: a world where pollution is reduced to levels that are no longer harmful to human health and natural ecosystems, as well as the steps to get there. The plan ties together all relevant EU policies to tackle and prevent pollution, with a special emphasis on how to use digital solutions to tackle pollution.

The mostly virtual EU Green Week will consist of a launch event in European Green Capital 2021, Lahti (Finland), a high-level virtual conference, a virtual exhibition area, and almost 600 partner events all around Europe. Highlights include:

  • A high-level opening session including an inspiring discussion with renowned artists, a famous chef and football representatives who will explain why they are also engaged in creating a world without pollution;
  • A high-level session exploring how to upgrade the ambition of EU Air Quality legislation, notably how to align the EU air quality standards more closely with the World Health Organization recommendations;
  • The launch of the zero pollution stakeholder platform, to bring together stakeholders and experts of different policy areas;
  • The launch of the Consumer Footprint Calculator developed by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre to allow citizen’s to calculate their environmental footprint;
  • A screening of the documentary “Trapped by Plastics” followed by a panel debate on how we can end marine plastic pollution;
  • The results of the Gen-E Fights for Zero Pollution hackathon where ten teams of students will come up with innovative solutions to prevent pollution
  • The EU LIFE Awards, recognising the most innovative, inspirational and effective LIFE projects in the fields of nature protection, environment and climate action;
  • Discussions on removing environmental pressures to set global biodiversity on a path to recovery at COP 15 in Kunming;
  • And much, much more – consult the full programme

For more information

Details

Publication date
28 May 2021
Location
Brussels

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