A sustainable way of life can only be achieved
if all European policies fully reflect the importance and value of
biodiversity and ecosystem services. Examples of policies that
attempt to achieve this include:
Resource
Efficiency (RE): The resource-efficient Europe strategy
is one of seven flagship initiatives under Europe2020
the EU's growth strategy for the coming decade. The strategy
establishes resource efficiency as the guiding principle for EU
policies on biodiversity, agriculture, fisheries, climate change,
industry, commodities, energy, transport and regional development.
It aims to decouple economic growth from resource depletion by
endorsing the integration of environmental protection policy into
all areas of EU activity to ensure sustainable use of natural
resources.
Sustainable
development: Sustainable development became an overarching
objective of EU policy in 1997 through the Treaty of Amsterdam. The
2001 EU Sustainable Development Strategy strengthened the
objectives and aimed to improve quality of life, manage and use
resources better, make use of ecological and social innovation and
ensure prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion. In
2009 the EU published a reviewed Sustainable Development Strategy
and has since been working to embed the principles of sustainable
development into all its policies. The EU Sustainable Development
Strategy added environmental protection as a third dimension to the
EU strategy for economic growth and social renewal – previously
referred to as the ‘Lisbon Strategy’. In 2010, this strategy was
superseded by Europe 2020, which sets out how the EU intends to
achieve a “smart, sustainable and inclusive” economy in the coming
decade.
Sustainable
consumption and production: Sustainable Consumption and
Procurement is one theme within the EU Sustainable Development
Strategy. Increasing resource use and production of waste compounds
pressures on natural resources, the environment and biodiversity.
The EU has developed a range of instruments and policy areas to
address consumption and production issues, including Green Public
Procurement and thematic strategies on the Sustainable Use of
Natural Resources and on Waste Prevention and Recycling.
Territorial cohesion: The territorial diversity of the EU is
seen as a vital asset that can contribute to sustainable
development. To make this diversity a strength territorial cohesion
is addressed through the focus on new relationships that bind EU
territories at different levels with new forms of cooperation and
co-ordination.