“We are building the future, today.”

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas on the rise of eco-industries eco-innovation in meeting carbon emission targets.

It is no secret that innovation and competitiveness go hand in hand. What is less
well understood is that the health of the environment and the health of the
economy are also fundamentally linked. Sustainable economic growth needs to
be based on a sustainable natural environment. We are currently facing multiple global crises - a severe economic downturn but also the ecological crises of climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Each of these crises needs urgent political action. But there is one fundamental difference: Our economies will recover in a few years but the environmental damage we are causing will take generations to repair.   
 
It is an encouraging sign that protecting the environment is no longer seen as a
luxury that can only be afforded during the good times. Leaders everywhere
have recognised that meeting environmental challenges offers opportunities to
stimulate the economy and create new jobs. The United States, South Korea,
China and Japan are among those already realising that this is a triple win
scenario - well designed measures can boost sustainability, jobs and growth.  
 
The Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) is Europe's engine for green growth. It is the EU's main tool to increase Europe's productivity and innovation while balancing environmental concerns. It is a key to implementing our Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP) and the lead market Initiative, which together help remove the financial and institutional barriers to eco-innovation. It is worth noting that half of the lead markets that have been identified to date are related to eco-technologies.
 
Eco-industries are one of the fastest growing sectors of the EU economy and
they are an area where Europe is a global leader. Investment in clean
technologies now represents around 18 percent of all venture capital in Europe. The market for green jobs is expanding rapidly. According to the UN, up to 20
million new jobs could be created worldwide in the renewable energy sector by
2030. The UN have also concluded that improved energy-efficiency in buildings
has the potential to create up to 3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United
States.
 
The road ahead

We are building the future, today. And it is clear that those who take the lead will
have a first mover advantage in developing the sustainable technologies for a
rapidly growing world market. The need to build a resource-efficient, low carbon economy is no longer an issue for debate. The question now is how we are actually going to make this happen. And eco-innovation is one of the keys, not only to meeting the EU's environmental objectives but also to its future competitiveness. By 2020, we must cut our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent of 1990 levels, we need to improve our energy efficiency by 20 percent and increase the share of renewables in our energy mix to 20 percent.
  
Achieving these targets will require a fundamental change in the way we
produce and consume goods. Improving the environmental performance of
products over their life cycle is essential. This is at the heart of our Sustainable
Consumption and Production Action Plan.   
 
This brings me to the role of the Agency (EACI). You are key partners in helping us achieve the goals of the Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth and the ambitious targets we have set in the climate and energy package. The CIP budget for eco-innovation may appear modest in view of these objectives (and I would hope that it is substantially increased in the future). But through synergies with other programmes - like Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) and the Marco Polo initiative for sustainable transport - you are able to deliver very substantial results.  
 
We look forward to the eco-innovation projects you are currently managing
leading to new products on the market that can bring tangible benefits for the
environment. I am particularly pleased to see that we are working with SMEs in
important areas such as recycling and construction. This work will play a part in building the new low carbon industrial revolution. And with the second call for proposals about to be launched, we can look forward to many more green solutions for sustainable growth. Thanks to the Agency's work, we are on the road to a greener future, where business meets the environment.