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Eco-innovation - Jobs and growth through environmental policy

2012/2294(INI)

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the own-initiative report by Karin KADENBACH (S&D, AT) on Eco-innovation - Jobs and Growth through environmental policy.

Members stressed that environmental challenges, such as climate change, resource scarcity and the degradation of biodiversity, require a radical transition of the economy, in which clean technologies play a key role.

Moreover, the scale of the crisis presents a unique and historic opportunity to bring forth transformational change in the EU economy, paving the way for sustainable long-term development.

General policies for creating smart, sustainable growth and jobs: Members called on the Commission to continue working on an EU-wide vision of eco-innovation in the context of the shift to a resource-efficient, low-carbon economy, but also to focus on concrete targets, priority areas and milestones. They called for an ambitious sustainable industrial policy with an emphasis on resource efficiency. They also stressed that the success of eco-innovation requires more targeted and long-term investment.

The report highlighted the dual environmental and economic benefits of transition to a green sustainable economy, in terms of creating sustainable jobs, both in the EU and in the developing world. They recognised that a stable, long-term regulatory framework to promote sustainability should be developed using existing financial instruments.

The Commission is called upon to: (i) place eco-innovation at the centre of its industrial policy; (ii) facilitate the development of labelling standards and clear definitions for the purpose of identifying and communicating the environmental credentials of products and services.

Member States are encouraged to develop strategies to align workforce skills with the opportunities offered by the Green Tech sector, looking to different subsectors and their needs for qualified workers.

Green growth is an opportunity for all sectors, which should therefore investigate development options for and raise consumer awareness of the importance of buying ‘green’ products.

The Eco-Innovation concept: the report called on the Commission to map different perceptions of eco-innovation and its related challenges and to build a common understanding on the different strategic opportunities eco-innovation offers for the future.

It called on the Commission to:

  • include specific eco-innovation recommendations in the European Semester in order to promote sustainable growth;
  • develop a systematic approach to eco-innovation policy;
  • develop, with the Member States, eco-standards for public procurement.

The report also recommended promoting the creative and innovative potential of young people to contribute to sustainable development, and improving their access to funding.

The EU, the Member States and the regions: the report underlined the need for mainstreaming the eco-innovation concept in all policy fields. It called on all key actors to work together on green growth, innovation and jobs in each sector.

The Commission and the Member States are invited to:

  • draw up new legislation and strengthen the existing legislation in the field of the development and use of renewable energies and increasing energy efficiency;
  • improve the coordination of these policies, and in particular to support regional partnerships for growth, innovation, jobs and equal opportunities between women and men, as well as cross-border initiatives;
  • provide incentives for businesses, in particular SMEs, to promote greater investment in private sector research and development (R&D) activities;
  • enhance cross-border co-operation in order to ensure the diffusion of technology and best practices across the EU.

The report called for the horizontal integration of the concept of eco-innovation into the structural and cohesion funds. It urged the Member States to make use as soon as possible of the European Social Fund for programmes aimed at up-skilling, training and retraining employees.

Funding eco-innovation: the report pointed to benefits of fiscal policies and called on the Member States to shift taxes from employment to resource use and pollution, in order to boost eco-innovation. It urged the Commission to progressively phase out by 2020 all environmentally harmful subsidies, including subsidies and financial support on fossil fuels.

Members stressed that eco-innovation should benefit from the emerging EU financial instruments and vehicles of the Innovation Union and Resource-Efficient Europe Flagships, as well as the post-2013 Cohesion Policy and Horizon 2020.

They also welcomed the eco-innovation funding possibilities within the Common Agricultural Policy, and also under the COSME, Horizon 2020 and LIFE programmes, while insisting that more funding be made available to increase the practical application of eco-innovations already developed.

The Commission is called upon to implement the necessary instruments and allocate sufficient budget resources to ensure a smooth transition between the CIP and Horizon 2020 programmes as regards eco-innovation.