Download Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers

Informal Meeting of Environment
Ministers
25th – 26th APRIL
GRAND MASTER’S PALACE, VALLETTA
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, OCEANS AND CIRCULAR
ECONOMY
MEDIA BACKGROUND NOTE
Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers
25th - 26th APRIL
GRAND MASTER’S PALACE, VALLETTA
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION, OCEANS AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY
MEDIA BACKGROUND NOTE
25th April 2017 – Climate Change Adaptation and Oceans: interface between climate
and environment policy
The meeting will be chaired by Dr. José Herrera, Maltese Minister for Sustainable
Development, the Environment and Climate Change. The first day of this two day event will be
split into two sessions as follows1:
Session I (09:30 – 11:20): Climate Change Adaptation
Session II (11:35 – 13:15): Oceans: Interface between climate and environment policy
Climate Change Adaptation
During the first session, Ministers will focus on climate change in a post Paris context and will
reflect on the expected evaluation and potential review of the EU Adaptation Strategy.
195 states agreed to the Paris Agreement recognizing that action on adapting to climate change
is necessary as extreme weather events related to climate change are becoming more frequent
and more intense. A number of EU regions are being affected by changing weather patterns
and associated climate risks of different degrees - flash floods, river flooding, soil and coastal
erosion, prolonged drought and associated water scarcity and sea level rise.
It is clear that increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change in order
to foster climate resilience is equally important as mitigation. Parties to the Paris Agreement
agreed to enhance their adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to
climate change. This with a view to contributing to low carbon economy and ensuring an
adequate adaptation response in the context of the temperature goal.
1
Timings of session subject to change
[email protected]
Presidency Unit, The Grand Master’s Palace, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1115,
Malta
2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU
+356 2540 2700
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During the informal we will be focusing on this aspect to see how the EU can collectively
respond bearing in mind that the EU Commission will soon be preparing a review of the EU
Adaptation Strategy. Moreover, it is important for climate action to be framed as an economic
opportunity and not as a burden on businesses and society. To this effect it is important to elicit
the opportunities provided by positive climate action. Therefore, it is important that Ministers
are provided an opportunity to put forward their views in such an informal setting.
Oceans – interface between climate and environment policy
During this session Ministers will discuss the intrinsic links between climate and environmental
policies in the context of oceans. The marine environment has and will continue to nurture and
cradle life. However the marine environment is under increasing threats that undermine its
sustainable use as a resource. For example, whilst oceans and seas provide a source of income
for millions of people around the globe, and contribute an estimated USD 28 trillion 2 to the
global economy annually through the ecosystem services they provide, these same ecosystems
are vulnerable to environmental degradation and are facing significant threats and challenges in
the 21st Century. The loss of marine biodiversity is happening at an alarming rate to the extent
that, if not abated, will have far reaching consequences not only for the environment but our
societies, economies and our whole way of life.
Climate change is also clearly impacting our oceans. Rising global temperatures resulting from
human activities are acknowledged to have impacts on our seas and oceans, be they physical,
chemical or biological. Sea level rise, the acidification of the oceans and the warming of the
water columns are some of the phenomena that are being put higher and higher on agendas of
policy makers.
The impacts on our oceans cannot be underestimated as they extend beyond those of an
environmental nature to a socio-economic dimension. The impact of climate change on these
water bodies cannot, therefore, be seen simply from an environmental perspective but the gap
between the outcomes of inaction and positive climate action on the socio-economic dimension
needs to be identified and heightened to act as a catalyst for change.
We would like to provide Ministers this informal setting to reflect upon and discuss climate
action within the broader scope of sustainable development to secure a response which
strengthens our resilience.
26th April 2017 – Marine litter in the context of the Circular Economy – link to the
upcoming plastic strategy and policy actions
Day two of the informal meeting will see a final session (Session III), again chaired by Dr. José
Herrera, Maltese Minister for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change.
The timings for the day are as follows:
Session III (09:10 - 10:30): Marine litter in the context of the Circular Economy
2
E/2016/75. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Report of the Secretary General. High level segment. High Level political forum on
sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. Economic and environmental questions: sustainable
development. United Nations. Economic and Social Council. 2016
[email protected]
Presidency Unit, The Grand Master’s Palace, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1115,
Malta
2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU
+356 2540 2700
Page 3
Short intermission (10:30 – 10:45)
Session III (10:45 – 12:15): Continued discussion on marine litter in the context of the
Circular Economy
During this last session Ministers will be invited to discuss how Europe can work towards making
a significant impact on the issue of marine litter. Marine litter is not a new challenge per se.
However there is a growing public interest in addressing the increasing pressures marine litter
poses on the marine environment and the efforts being made towards increasing resource
efficiency and creating more circular economies. Marine debris is not only the result of litter
generated at sea but, in the main, originates from insufficient rigour in the management of land
based sources.
Plastic and plastic items make up the largest component of marine litter and their recycling can
offset this problem whilst subscribing to more circular principles. This Commission is due to
publish a new plastic strategy as part of the wider Circular Economy Action Plan deliverable this
year. To this end given that plastic is now very much the ubiquitous pollutant of our marine
environment the question that emerges is whether we can leverage this new plastic strategy to
make a determined impact on marine litter. Can this strategy look at the entire plastic chain,
from production through to disposal, to make the marked difference needed? How can circular
actions on plastics result in new economic opportunities? These ideas are at the core of the
debate we wish to hold during this session.
The Maltese Presidency will therefore be giving the opportunity to Ministers and the Commission
to consider how best this plastic strategy can contribute to address this important issue of
reducing marine litter as well as how plastic products may be construed in an effort to promote
circular principles thus also tackling marine litter.
Aim
The Informal Meeting of the Environment Ministers is an opportunity for Environment Ministers
to discuss key environmental challenges in a less formal manner than would normally happen
during formal Council events. The informal nature of these discussions will allow for a better
understanding between the participants on their specific circumstances, challenges, ideas,
proposals and best practices that may already exist in some cases, on how to move forward on
these very important environmental issues which are of even more prominent relevance to the
Presidency hosting the meeting.
Participants
The Environment Ministers of the 28 EU Member States along with the Commissioners for
Climate Action and Energy and the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will be invited to
attend the meeting. In addition the Environment Ministers of the EFTA and Candidate Countries
have also been invited.
[email protected]
Presidency Unit, The Grand Master’s Palace, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1115,
Malta
2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU
+356 2540 2700
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Invitations have also been extended to Representatives from the European Parliament, the
European Environment Agency, the United Nations Environment Programme and the European
Environment Bureau.
Expected Outcomes
A fruitful exchange of views and increased awareness on these important issues, as well as a
better understanding of how the participants consider it may be useful to move forward at the
national and European levels on these elements would be main outcome that the Presidency will
seek to attain. The meeting will also provide for a networking opportunity amongst counterparts
and a chance for participants to get a glimpse of Malta’s historic and cultural Capital city.
Press / Media Contacts
Malta (Primary contact during the informal Council)
Ms. Roberta Apap: +356 23886302; [email protected]
Brussels
Mr. Pablo Micallef: (+32) 470216745; [email protected]
[email protected]
Presidency Unit, The Grand Master’s Palace, Republic Street, Valletta VLT 1115,
Malta
2017 Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU
+356 2540 2700
Page 5