Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The European Commission has today adopted a strategic long-term vision for a "prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy" by 2050.

The strategy - referred to as A Clean Planet for All - shows how Europe can lead the way to climate neutrality by investing into "realistic technological solutions, empowering citizens, and aligning action in key areas such as industrial policy, finance, or research", according to the Commission. This transition can be made, it suggests, "while ensuring social fairness".

Following the invitation by the European Council in March this year, the Commission said its vision for a climate neutral future covers nearly all EU policies and is in line with the Paris Agreement objective to keep temperature increase to well below 2°C, and pursue efforts to keep it to 1.5°C.
The Commission said the purpose of the long-term strategy "is not to set targets, but to create a vision and sense of direction, plan for it, and inspire as well as enable stakeholders, researchers, entrepreneurs and citizens alike to develop new and innovative industries, businesses and associated jobs". It added, "With the vision we are presenting today, the EU can inform others how we can deliver collectively a clean planet and show that transforming our economy is possible and beneficial."
In order to become a climate neutral economy, the European Commission said joint action would be required in seven strategic areas. These are: energy efficiency; deployment of renewables; clean, safe and connected mobility; competitive industry and circular economy; infrastructure and interconnections; bio-economy and natural carbon sinks; and carbon capture and storage to address remaining emissions.
The Commission said it invites the European Council, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee to consider the strategy. It said ministers in all relevant Council formations should hold extensive policy debates on the contribution of their respective policy areas to the overall vision ahead of a meeting of the European Council in Sibiu, Romania, in May 2019. The EU should aim to adopt and submit an ambitious strategy by early 2020 to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as requested under the Paris Agreement.
Nuclear's role
Launching the strategy today, Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete said the European energy system will need to decarbonise.
"By 2050, 80% of electricity will be coming from renewable energy sources. Together with nuclear power, this will be the backbone of a carbon-free European power system."
The 128 nuclear power reactors (with a combined capacity of 119 GWe) operating in 14 of the 28 EU member states currently account for over one-quarter of the electricity generated in the whole of the EU. Nuclear now accounts for 53% of the EU's carbon-free electricity.
Cañete said, "With this plan, Europe will be the world's first major economy to go for net-zero emissions by 2050." He added, "Our strategic vision is the result of extensive scientific and economic analysis, as well as feedback and contributions from stakeholders and citizens.
"Going climate neutral is necessary, possible and in Europe's interest. It is necessary to meet the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. It is possible with current technologies and those close to deployment. And it is in Europe's interest to stop spending on fossil fuel imports and invest in meaningful improvements to the daily lives of all Europeans."
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yesterday published a report saying global carbon dioxide emissions increased in 2017, after a three-year period of stabilisation.
In its Emissions Gap Report 2018, UNEP said it is still possible to keep global warming below 2°C, but the technical feasibility of bridging the 1.5°C gap is dwindling. It added, if the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is extremely unlikely that the 2°C temperature goal can still be reached.


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

Europe aims to be carbon neutral by 2050.

India becomes 69th shareholder of European development bank - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India becomes 69th shareholder of European development bank.

India was today formally announced as the 69th shareholder of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), paving the way for more joint investment with Indian companies across the bank's regions of operation.

The Indian government had applied for EBRD membership in December 2017. The EBRD board of governors, which represents all the existing shareholders, voted unanimously in favour of the country's application in March 2018, with the entire membership process completed this week.
We are very proud and happy to welcome India to our Bank. This day opens a new chapter in our relations, allowing us to build further on already very close ties, said EBRD's Indian-origin president Suma Chakrabarti.
India takes a shareholding in the EBRD but it will not be a recipient of EBRD financing.
In the lead up to the membership, the EBRD held its inaugural business forum in Mumbai last month. The conference, co-hosted with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and with the support of the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India, was held under the banner of Mobilising private sector finance in the EBRD region and how Indian companies can benefit.
The EBRD has already cooperated with Indian enterprises on joint projects worth almost 1 billion euros, including investments with Tata, SREI, Jindal and Mahindra and Mahindra.
The EBRD is also working closely with leading Indian organisations, such as FICCI, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
London-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.It invests in 38 emerging economies across three continents, according to a set of criteria that aim to make its countries more competitive, better governed, greener, more inclusive, more resilient and more integrated.
India's membership opens up further joint investment prospects in markets such as Central Asia, Egypt and Jordan. (Source: The Business Standard)


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

India becomes 69th shareholder of European development bank.

India to host European Union Film Festival - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India to host European Union Film Festival .

24 latest European movies from 23 European countries Festival to traverse through 11 cities in India Slovakian Movie Little Harbour to be the opening film for the festival

Putting a spotlight on the latest European cinema, the European Union Film Festival (EUFF) will premiere in New Delhi on 18th June, 2018 at the Siri Fort Auditorium. With a selection of 24 latest European films from 23 EU Member States, this years' film festival brings some unusual stories for the world cinema enthusiasts. The European Union Film Festival is organized by Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India partnering with the Delegation of the European Union and embassies of EU Member States in various city film clubs.
The festival will traverse through 11 cities in India including New Delhi, Chennai, Port Blair, Pune, Puducherry, Kolkata, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam, Thrissur, Hyderabad and Goa from 18th June till 31st August. Celebrating diversity, the EUFF will screen movies from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.
As a special attraction this year, audience, students and filmmakers will get an opportunity to interact with Katarína Krnáčová (Slovakian producer), Paula Ortiz (Spanish Director), Salvatore Alloca (Italian Director), Yannis Korris (Greek Director), Douglas Boswell (Belgium Director) and Ádám Fekete (Hungarian Actor) who are travelling to India for the festival. Indian actress Neena Kulkarni who has worked in the Luxembourg movie being screened at the film festival will be attending the festival in Goa.
23rd European Film Festival has some unusual stories to tell: the lines of reality are blurred when the cyber world comes to life; a play done by a motley cast of antiheroes provides an opportunity for redemption; a man stuck in an unhappy marriage practices unusual ways to assert his freedom; a music critic finds his father irksome when they both begin to compete for the attention of an attractive psychotherapist; and three Kurdish siblings come together unexpectedly in a hair-raising journey during which they are pursued by angry relatives. These are just some of the curious themes of the European Union Film Festival of 2018.
The EU Film Festival 2018 to be held from 18 - 24 June in Delhi, brings to the city a selection of some of the finest and most riveting films coming out of Europe today. The European Union Film Festival, organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and European Union will be hosted at the Sirifort Auditorium Complex.
The Festival will be inaugurated by the Hon'ble Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Mr Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, in the presence of Mr. Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Mr. Raimund Magis, Deputy head of Delegation of the European Union to India; Mr. Chaitanya Prasad, Additional Director General, Directorate of Film Festivals; Ms. Katarina Tomkova, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Slovak Republic at 6.00 pm on 18 June 2018 at the Siri Fort complex (Audi 2). Slovakian Producer Katarina Krnacova, whose film Little Harbour is the opening movie at the festival this year will also be attending the inauguration. Paula Ortiz (Spanish Director), Salvatore Alloca (Italian Director) will be present during their respective movie screenings.
The award winning film Little Harbour is inspired by true events about two children whose innocent play changes their lives forever. It's a story of children who feel safer in the streets than at home, about children seeking out sturdy lifeboats that cross between the world of fantasy and the harsh reality of life. The ten year old Jarka lives with her mother, who is not yet ready to be a Mum. She spends most of her time alone. Pushed by her desire for love and to form a fully functional family, she finds herself substituting as a mother to two babies.
About the European Union (EU):
The EU, which consists of 28 countries, has the world's largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India. Though richly diverse, the countries that make up the EU (its 'Member States') are all committed to the same basic values: peace, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. They have set up common institutions so that decisions on matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level. By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment. It is also at the forefront of policies on sustainability. (Source: PIB)


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

India to host European Union Film Festival.