SoGreen Alliance sends letters of support for EU Nature Restoration Law

The SoGreen Alliance, a cooperation of eight European associations of urban green professionals, has sent today letters of support for the EU Nature Restoration Law to the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and to EU-Commissioner Sinkevičius. On Monday March 25^th it was the intention to adopt the law in the Environment Council, but due to the fact that there was no qualified majority anymore the voting was taken off the agenda. The SoGreen Alliance is very concerned about what will happen next. In the letters of support the Alliance emphasizes on the enormous opportunities in the urban chapter of the Nature Restoration Law. The Alliance calls on the Belgian Presidency to take all efforts needed leading to the adoption of the law before the end of their current mandate.

In the letters to the Belgian Presidency, addressed to Belgian Prime Minister De Croo and Brussels Minister of Environment Maron, the SoGreen Alliance summarizes why the Nature Restoration Law is of great importance for the urban area.

ELCA Secretary General Egbert Roozen writes on behalf of the Alliance: “The quality of life in the urban area is under pressure. Cities are, due to climate change, vulnerable. Heavy rain showers and high temperatures, that occur more in the future, lead to growing health, social and economic risks and damage. Cities can be a thriving force for the creation of innovative green solutions that have multiple benefits for a better climate, biodiversity and public health. The fact that the European Union is pushing this force forward makes that we act towards the same goals in the same pace. The EU wants to leave no one behind in the green transition that we must make. We underline the importance of the EU Nature Restoration Law by also having eye for the well-being of all citizens.”

True and comprehensive green transition
The EU Nature Restoration Law, the fifth and indispensable pillar of the EU Green Deal, sets targets  till 2030, 2040 and 2050. Roozen: “That means that we have a clear path way to develop. By making dedicated plans, we make the transition according to set ambitions on national and local level and a realistic planning. For too long the importance of the green transition in the urban area has been acknowledged, but the prioritization remained low on the agenda and actions were fragmented or depending on circumstances. We appreciate it that the EU takes now the lead in starting a true and comprehensive green transition wave in the urban area. The EU Nature Restoration Law is going to make the difference based on clear regulation and defined targets.”

Acknowledgement key-values of greenery and nature-based solutions
In 2011 the European Commission introduced the strategy Nature Based Solutions in Renaturing the Cities under Horizon 2020. Since then a lot of research and innovation on the effects of greenery and nature-based solutions has been done. “We act according to scientific evidence and are able to innovate. We appreciate it very much, that greenery and nature-based solutions are now a vital part of European policies to address the societal challenges that we face on climate, biodiversity and public health. We as urban green professionals bring in our knowledge and experiences about greenery and nature-based solutions to achieve and maintain these multiple benefits. We offer our support in the further elaboration of the law on European level and activate our members to be stakeholder in the definition and implementation of the national and local restoration plans”, according to Roozen. 

White paper on European elections about a green and healthy urban environment

SoGreen Alliance pleads for Green Deal 2.0 with urban chapter for next EU-semester

Today March 21^st 2024, at the start of a new Spring, the SoGreen Alliance publishes a white paper with recommendations for urban green policies in view of the upcoming European elections and the next EU-semester 2024 - 2029. In the white paper, with the title ‘We want to pass on a liveable and greener world for our children and next generations’, the Alliance pleads amongst others for an advanced EU Green Deal 2.0 with a specific urban chapter. The SoGreen Alliance, which is a cooperation of eight European associations of urban green professionals, wants to take up a pro-active role in realizing a green and healthy urban environment and seeks with this white paper the cooperation with European policy makers and relevant stakeholders on this topic.  

In the white paper the SoGreen Alliance refers to the current societal challenges in the urban area and the opportunities that greenery and nature-based solutions offer here. The EU Green Deal, launched by the European Commission in 2019, has set a great ambitions in becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050. The SoGreen Alliance welcomed the Deal, because it integrated green solutions into different initiatives in for example the Climate Law, the Renovation Wave, the EU Taxonomy, the Skills Agenda and the Nature Restoration Law. According to the SoGreen Alliance, it is now time for the next step.

EU Green Deal 2.0
After the elections for the European Parliament and the start of the new European Commission, there must be an at least ambitious work program on greening the urban area as there has been in the past five years. The SoGreen Alliance concludes that the urban area needs extra attention at European level. Although green cities are already fragmented on the EU agenda, it would be good to evaluate the current status of the green transition in urban areas, to combine different policies and to look where new impulses could be given. Water and Soil are vital in a holistic approach on the application and effectiveness of greenery and nature-based solutions in the built-up area. The availability of water during periods of heat and drought becomes an urgent topic. Rainwater needs to be collected and stored for different use. Greenery and nature-based solutions can be applied for that. To create an even bigger potential, the soil in the built-up area must be unsealed and transformed into fertile growing spots. Soil innovation is also important in view of the reduction of peat components in growing media. Besides water and soil, a further elaboration is needed on the aspect of circularity so that green ‘waste’ becomes a natural source for new products or new applications. The further elaboration of the urban ecosystem for pollinators, and biodiversity in general, is also a high priority. Looking at the greater urban agenda that must defined behind all these development, the SoGreen Alliance pleads for a specific chapter for the built-up/urban area in the follow up of the EU Green Deal; the EU Green Deal 2.0.  

 The SoGreen Alliance introduces in the white paper also recommendations on ‘Green transition at local level’, ‘The Built-up area as carbon sink’, ‘Biodiversity’ and “Skills development’. In the coming weeks, the white paper will be presented to the European institutions and different stakeholders at European level. The white paper can be found at the website of the SoGreen Alliance: www.onthegreenmove.com.

Le jury de l’édition 2019 du Carré des Jardiniers, présidé par Jean Mus, a rendu son verdict le mercredi 4 décembre, dans le cadre du salon Paysalia.

Découvrez qui a remporté le titre convoité de « Maître Jardinier 2019 »  dans le communiqué de presse.

The jury of the 2019 edition of Carré des Jardiniers, chaired by Jean Mus, delivered its verdict on Wednesday, December 4, during the Paysalia trade show.

Find out who won the coveted title of "Master Gardener 2019" in the press release.