Brussels, 6 May – The European Commission has released a strategy entitled, ‘Green Infrastructure – Europe’s Natural Capital’, intended to develop natural and semi-natural areas throughout the EU which will support the ecosystem and protect essential natural benefits such as clean water.
Brussels, 6 May – The European Commission has released a strategy entitled, ‘Green Infrastructure – Europe’s Natural Capital’, intended to develop natural and semi-natural areas throughout the EU which will support the ecosystem and protect essential natural benefits such as clean water.
“Building green infrastructure is often a good investment for nature, for the economy and for jobs,” said Environment Commissioner, Janez Poto?nik. “We should provide society with solutions that work with nature instead of against it, where that makes economic and environmental sense.”
Such solutions include using natural wetlands to manage floods and planting trees to lower temperatures in urban areas. The Commission will release guidance on how to promote green infrastructure in relation to agricultural, transport and energy policies later this year. Plans for a trans-European green infrastructure network will be considered in 2016.
The Commission is to team up with the European Investment Bank to launched a financing facility by 2014, and Horizon 2020 is expected to provide funding for research into greater use of green infrastructure.
Click to visit the Commission’s Green Infrastructure page, or here to read their press release.