Necessity of using materials in a sustainable way
Outcome of the Informal Environment Council on Sustainable Materials Management, 12 and 13 July 2010.
We must use our materials in a sustainable way, on a daily basis. If not, we will never succeed in achieving a resource-efficient society. Currently, the footprint of the EU-27 is more than twice its regenerative capacity.
The issue of sustainable materials management was discussed at the informal ministerial meeting on Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) held on 12-13 July 2010 in Ghent, Belgium.
At the end of the Informal Environment Council, the Presidency presented a summary of the fruitful two-day-debate between the various participants. Read the Presidency’s summary.
Given its considerable political importance, the working lunch which concluded the Informal Council was dedicated to the issue of climate change. Read the joint statement by Joke Schauvliege, Flemish Minister for the Environment, Nature and Culture, Chair of the Environment Council, and Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action.
