An official website of the European Union. See all European Institutions
Climate, Environment & Energy
The EU is a global leader in environmental protection and the fight against climate change, promoting sustainable development through international cooperation, innovation and clean energy.
What do the European Union and the Smurfs have in common? Both identify with the colour blue, and both care deeply about the health of our blue planet. And now they are shaking hands to clean up beaches across the world and encourage people to protect our ocean!
A beautiful sunny day in Belgium saw a large crowd of people gathering on the beach at De Haan including several hundred EU colleagues with their families and friends, all for a good cause, to raise awareness around the problem of marine litter. Over 11 tonnes of garbage were collected.
Water is not to be taken for granted. 2.1 billion people across the globe lack access to drinking water. On World Water Day, we remember how much access to sufficient, safe, drinkable, physically accessible and affordable water is a precondition for a decent life. The fundamental human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation apply to every human being and are fully recognised and backed by the EU.
Scientists and politicians widely acknowledge that climate change is one of the most pressing issues, an existential threat that humanity is facing today. The Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 has set the way forward for all countries to act together in curbing climate change. These commitments must now be implemented.
Around 8 million tons of plastic enter the sea every year... mostly ending up on our beaches... Collective action is needed! Throughout the months of September and October, leading to the Our Ocean Conference in Bali, several EU Delegations worldwide were actively cleaning seashores and riverbanks together with their families, and locals and organisations who worked jointly to make our ocean a better place for marine life... These efforts have now been marked on the European Atlas of the Seas’ last “Map of the Week” for 2018!
