The Commissioner for Environment and Planning, Perit Alan Saliba, attended the Green Week 2023 Brussels Conference, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment. Invited speakers from the realms of politics, business, NGOs, and academia contributed to the event, themed “Delivering a Net-Zero World”.

This two-day event emphasised the need for ongoing environmental policies covering pivotal areas like biodiversity, circular economy, and zero pollution. The first day addressed the latest policy updates in these fields, while the second day delved into more detail on specialist topics, catering to expert audiences.

A critical message from the conference was the importance of a wider ecological shift in achieving the net-zero goal. This strategy includes treating nature as our main ally in driving change and ending pollution.

Green Week 2023 clearly outlined the imperative of sticking to environmental goals, irrespective of the prevailing economic and political climates. The conference argued that maintaining healthy ecosystems benefits the environment and lays a foundation for long-term sustainability, job growth, and new business opportunities. It drew attention to the connection between ecological health and the resilience and fairness of European societies.

The conference underscored the importance of maintaining a focus on environmental targets, capturing the essence of the European Union’s efforts to spearhead a clean tech revolution.

The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, also participated in the conference. O’Reilly will be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming “The Right to Good Administration: myth, aspiration or reality?” conference in Malta this October.