Activities of Elisabeth SCHROEDTER related to 2012/2294(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on Eco-innovation – Jobs and Growth through environmental policy
Amendments (21)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the broad dimension of the eco-innovation concept, given that it is defined as any form of innovation aiming at progress towards the goal of sustainable development, through reducing impacts on the environment or, achieving a more efficient and responsible use of resources or improving the ecological performance of production, products and services; draws attention to the job potential in a sustainable economy;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Supports the Commission's flagship initiative under the Europe 2020 strategy to make the change towards a sustainable economy now, to make economic growth less dependent on consumption of resources and energy, to reduce climate- damaging emissions and thus to act against global warming; welcomes the intention to align legal framework conditions, market economy incentive instruments, subsidies and public procurement with that objective;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the untapped environmental- benefit potential of eco-innovation, given that it is expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through, inter alia, increased use of recycled materials and production of quality products with less impact on the environment and the facilitating of more environmentally friendly production processes and services; points to the benefits for fiscal policies when the potentials of eco-innovation are exploited to the full and efficiency gains can be realised not least in budgetary terms; stresses the need to target actions on bottlenecks and barriers in the way of the commercialisation of eco-innovation, and the internationalisation of these products and services;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Believes that more should be done to internalise external costs; calls on the Commission to use existing policy tools – or develop new tools if necessary – to attribute costs, and to ensure that future policy proposals reflect its findings;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to determine environmental standards and financial incentives creating reliable framework conditions for at least 10 years, and thereby creating legal and planning certainty which is a prerequisite for exploiting the growth opportunities of eco-innovation;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the change towards a more sustainable economy has different positive effects on different sectors, namely, whereas jobs are created, replaced, or partially cease to exist; whereas all jobs should be adapted to sustainable, resource-efficient production and working methods, and the greatest need for adaptations therefore arises in existing employment relationships, with flexible employment relationships being desirable,
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses 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; underlines the need for mainstreaming the eco-innovation concept in all policy fields;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas this change has the potential to stabilise employment and to increase the number of jobs, with considerable spill-over effects, whereas, where reliable framework conditions have been introduced, a constant rise in employment possibilities and job security can be noted, which is stabilised by increasing exports,
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the potential for direct and indirect job creation through full implementation of the EU 2020 strategy and the transition to a sustainable economy; welcomes the Commission's promotion of an integrated strategy for green growth under the ‘'Innovation Union’' flagship initiative and in particular the Eco- Innovation Action Plan; welcomes the intention to align legal framework conditions, market economy incentive instruments, subsidies and public procurement with that objective.
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that, while eco-industries today provide 3.4 million jobs and an estimated annual turnover of EUR 319 billion, the potential for creating regional growth, employment opportunities and environmental benefits remains largely untapped, and recalls, in this connection, that the cost of inaction will be high;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. recommends promoting the creative and innovative potential of young people for contributing to sustainable development, and improving their access to funding;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Stresses that targeted investment for the ecological transformation of the EU's disadvantaged regions is one of the most useful instruments for achieving the strategic objectives of regional convergence and territorial cohesion;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the wide spectrum of employment opportunities at varying skills levels opened up by eco-innovation and the bioeconomy, particularly with regard to recycling/reuse processing, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge sector; notes that, in order to reach the EU 2020 strategy's employment targets and make use of the job potential of a new sustainable economy, there is a need to increase the energy efficiency of housing and construction, the share of renewable energies, environment technologies, sustainable transport and mobility, sustainable agriculture, forestry and fishery and advice through environmental services, as well as recycling/reuse processing, low-resource production processes and closed loop material cycles, eco-design, and investment in the knowledge sector; notes that the service sector and the social economy sector also bear considerable green employment potential;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is firmly convinced that market- economy based environmental policy can become the engine of growth and employment in all branches of the economy, and stresses that predictable, investment-friendly framework conditions are the basis that will allow innovative businesses to make the best possible use of these opportunities for the benefit of the environment and of employees;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Points out that the Member States must adapt their training and education systems and devise and implement targeted action plans for retraining workers in sectors which will be affected by the transformation of local economies towards a new sustainable economy, to ensure that they have access to new green sustainable jobs, to ensure that the workforce can adjust their skills to the labour-market needs of a more sustainable economy founded on competence-based training concepts; welcomes, in this context, the Commission's 'New Skills for New Jobs' initiative and acknowledges cooperation with the EU Member States as a step in the right direction; points out, however, that this initiative must be more closely linked to the objectives of the Council Decision on sustainable development and taken further with tangible measures both at EU level and in the EU Member States;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that eco-innovation presents clear opportunities for new niche businesses, offering opportunities for SMEs, self-starters and the self-employed to benefit from new markets, business models as well as revitalising existing traditional economic sectors;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recommends promoting the creative and innovative potential of young people for contributing to sustainable development, and improving their access to funding;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Highlights that entrepreneurs play a very important role in spreading eco- innovation more widely; notes, in this regard, that informing entrepreneurs about new business opportunities will be crucial to the success of a strategy aimed at developing resource-efficient economies and sustainable industries;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the dual environmental and economic benefits of transition to a biogreen sustainable economy, in terms of creating sustainable jobs both in the EU and in the developing world through increased participation in innovative fuel and material production, as well as the employment opportunities resulting from the processing and distribution of biofuels and biomaterials for business, public, private and domestic consumers;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that a stable, long-term, ambitious regulatory framework is a prerequisite for achieving the full potential of green employment; calls on the Commission and Member States to determine environmental standards and financial incentives creating reliable framework conditions for at least 10 years, and thereby creating legal and planning certainty; demands that existing financial instruments should be used to promote sustainability and that increasing sustainability of economic activity and production should be inserted into the financial perspective of various funds, including the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, as one of the promoted objectives;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the complex challenges arising for food security, climate change, soil quality, raw material scarcity, transformation towards renewable energy systems and energy efficiency and so on; recognises that eco- innovation can solve many of these challenges; reiterates that such a transition requires a holistic approach incorporating education, training, skills development, research and innovation, private sector investment and infrastructure development, all of which contribute to diverse and sustainable employment opportunities.