Europe Day – Sustainability and Innovation Station
Germany
How can science ensure sustainable food security as the global population rises? The genetic mechanisms that govern intricate plant characteristics could provide a potential answer. It might even be possible to predict how certain plant traits will perform under specific environmental conditions, allowing us to find an approach towards (re)designing these traits in a way that positively impacts agriculture.
CEPLAS is the Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences: a joint initiative of the Universities of Cologne and Düsseldorf, the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research, and Forschungszentrum Jülich. In Spring 2023, several CEPLAS members traveled to New York City to present an event series called “PlantACT! Plants for Climate Action”, co-hosted by the German UN Mission..
CEPLAS – Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences,
CEPLAS members in New York and Washington
PlantACT! - Plants for Climate Action
Greece
Astypalea: The first smart & sustainable Mediterranean Island
Astypalea, a small island in the southern Aegean, will soon become the first smart and sustainable island with energy autonomy in the Mediterranean. By 2030, the island will achieve zero-emission mobility.
The Astypalea “Smart and Sustainable Island” project of the Hellenic Republic is a pioneering project centered around four pillars:
- Vehicle electrification
- Smart mobility
- Charging and energy from Renewable Energy Sources
- Autonomous driving as a future option
Fully supported by the Volkswagen Group, the project aspires to create an entirely new transport system with digital mobility services, including an all-electric year-round ridesharing service designed to completely revamp the current limited local bus service.
Working with local stakeholders, Volkswagen Group will transform a part of the traditional vehicle rental business into a vehicle sharing service offering e-scooters, e-bikes and electric cars.
In parallel, the Hellenic Republic will help the island transition to complete energy autonomy through the use of renewable energy technologies like wind and solar power. Astypalea possesses a significant untapped green-energy potential, making it the ideal island choice for this project. Renewable energy sources alone would cover the additional electricity demand arising from the introduction of e-mobility. Of equal importance is the commitment of the local community to achieving the sustainable development goals of the project.
https://smartastypalea.gov.gr/
Luxembourg
Developed by Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, emergency.lu is a mobile, satellite-based, telecommunications platform, created to re-establish communication systems after a disaster, to support the coordination efforts of humanitarian organisations in the field and to contribute to saving lives during humanitarian emergencies.
One of the strengths of emergency.lu is its ability to quickly deploy the necessary equipment as well as personnel within 12 hours in areas where existing communication infrastructures have been damaged in order to re-establish communication. Communication services can also be provided in the context of chronic crises, especially in very remote areas.
By providing rapidly deployable communication services in disaster-stricken areas, emergency.lu has enabled humanitarian organizations to coordinate their relief efforts more effectively, which ultimately leads to a more efficient delivery of aid to those in need.
Luxembourg provides the emergency.lu services as a free global public good to the humanitarian community.
The Netherlands
The Ocean Cleanup is an EU-based international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup cooperates with numerous European companies to develop large-scale systems to concentrate the plastic for efficient periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean.
Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140 from 35 countries, of which 14 are EU Member States. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with a regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Slovenia
World Bee Day, celebrated annually on May 20th, was initiated by Slovenia to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators for our planet's ecosystem, food production, and biodiversity.
In Slovenia, World Bee Day is celebrated with various events and activities, including educational programs for children, exhibitions, beekeeping demonstrations, honey tastings, and traditional folklore performances.
The Slovenian government has been actively promoting sustainable beekeeping practices, research, and conservation efforts, and the country is proud of its rich beekeeping heritage, with beekeeping being a significant part of the national identity and culture.
https://www.gov.si/en/registries/projects/world-bee-day/
All these projects exemplify the values that the EU strives to uphold. By highlighting them, we hope to inspire others to act and contribute to positive change in their communities and beyond.
United Nations
European Union
European Union
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