0. Strengthening Green Growth and Green Jobs – the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Roadmap to a Resource-efficient Europe
Dr Manfred Rosenstock
DG Environment, European Commission
Berlin, 5th March 2014
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author and may not in any circumstances be regarded as stating an official position of the European Commission

1. Challenges
Competition for resources (including raw materials) increases, scarcities => prices rise => impact on European economy
20th cent.: 12-fold increase of fossil fuel use, material extraction 8-fold
Demand for food, feed and fibre may increase by 70% by 2050
60% of world’s major ecosystems that help produce these, already degraded or used unsustainably
WBCSD: by 2050 need for 4 to 10 fold increase in resource efficiency, significant changes needed by 2020
EU consumes 16 to. of material p.a., of which 5 to. become waste
Major increase in demand by emerging economies, e.g. China

2. Opportunities from resource efficiency/
greening the economy
Short term benefits
Growth and job creation
Improving competitiveness and security of supply
Inducing innovation
Supporting fiscal consolidation
Longer term opportunities
Economic and Environmental resilience
Improving competitiveness and security of supply
Improved quality of life and human health
Global stability 2

3. Opportunities for growth: EU Share of world eco-industries, 2008
Source: ESTAT, 2011
Employment in, environmental goods and services industries sector grew by 20% during in spite of the recession. World market expected to double in size until 2020

4. Jobs linked to the Environment

5. A green economy for future competitiveness
Green jobs: All jobs that depend on the environment or are created, substituted or redefined (in terms of skills sets, work methods, profiles greened, etc.) in the transition process towards a greener economy
Study results:
Reducing the total material requirement of % can lead to boosting GDP by up to 3.3% and creating million jobs
Potential gains for businesses of between 3 and 8% of turnover by using resources more efficiently
Implementation of individual energy efficiency measures could lead to 2 million green jobs created or retained by 2020
McKinsey: $ 2.3 trn global gain in improving resource efficiency in various sectors

6. Europe 2020 Strategy and Resource efficiency
Need to adapt our economic structures to increasing resource scarcity („green growth“, „eco-efficient economy“). Strategic approaches:
Europe 2020: Sustainable growth as one priority; Resource efficiency as key element;
Flagship Initiative “A resource efficient Europe”: Help decouple economic growth from resource use, support shift towards a low carbon economy (renewable energy sources, transport, energy efficiency);
Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe: Framework for implementation of EU and MS initiatives for resource efficiency; Systematic stakeholder involvement

7. Transforming the economy
Promote sustainable production and consumption patterns: e.g. Green Public Procurement, eco-design of products
Stimulating research & innovation: Horizon 2020, innovation partnerships.
Getting the prices right: Phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies; shift from taxing labour towards environmental taxes, further development of the ETS
Turning waste into a resource: stimulating secondary materials markets, improving implementation.

8. Opportunities for more efficiency: Recycling of municipal waste, 2011

9. Opportunities for more efficiency: Environmental taxes as % of all taxes, 2011

10. Safeguarding our natural capital
Examples of recent initiatives:
Green Infrastructure: network of high-quality natural areas that provide ecosystem services and connectivity. Communication 2013
Water Blueprint: integration of resource-efficiency considerations into water policy, framework of measures and instruments.
Review of air quality policy: Carry successes in air pollution reduction further, reduce health effects and impacts on soil etc.

11. Green economy package, 2014
Review of targets in the area of waste management and improvements in implementation
Steps towards a circular economy – eco-design, use of market-based instruments, setting of targets and indicators
Faciliating the financing of investments in resource efficiency
Recommendations of the European Resource Efficiency Platform
Further COM initiatives foreseen on food and construction waste, follow up to Rio+20, Green Jobs.

12. Thank you for your attention!