Getting to the future we want

On the 4 – 7th November, we participated in the European Environmental Bureau’s Annual GM and Annual Conference “Getting to the Future We Want” in Brussels. The conference brought together policymakers, politicians and experts to facilitate discussion on the identification of solutions to the most acute environmental problems with an outlook to the post-2020 period. This discussion took place in the backdrop of the need to prepare for the development of a new Eighth Environment Action Programme and an implementation plan for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Still more pressing was the need to emphasise the importance of environment as a policy priority in light of the upcoming EU election in 2019.

The most important outcomes from the AGM were the re-election of Jouni Nissinen as president and new appointment of Axel Jansen treasurer. Attacta Ui Bhroi, Bernhard Zlanabitnig, Bjela Vossen, Joao Branco, Johanna Sandahl are the newly elected vice-presidents. Our Anke Stock was reappointed as the board member within the category of European networks. There are hopes there will be another candidate for nomination in the following WECF representative election in 2021.

Another important outcome from the AGM was an amendment to the statute allowing for an extension to the serving time of officers on the board from 1 to 2 years. With the next EU Election in sight, various issues were discussed, including identifying the most pressing environmental issues and crucial facts, types of arguments to be relied on, the use of factsheets, an outline of plans and in particular how each organization can help another.

Photo by Jay Kudva.