Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
Hnutí DUHA
1) Posláním Hnutí DUHA je prosazovat čisté a zdravé prostředí pro život.
ID: 360235332705-49
Lobbying Activity
Meeting with Veronika Vrecionová (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair) and Greenpeace European Unit and Arnika, z.s.
4 Dec 2024 · Future of CAP (incl. sustainable farming, pesticide management, animal welfare)
Meeting with Ondřej Krutílek (Member of the European Parliament) and Centrum pro dopravu a energetiku, z.s.
22 Oct 2024 · Green Deal and Expected Legislation in ITRE Committee
Response to Report on the evaluation of the LULUCF Regulation
11 Jul 2024
Friends of the Earth Czech Republic welcomes the opportunity to participate in this call for evidence on the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) Regulation. The LULUCF sector plays a key role in achieving the EU climate neutrality objective; and it needs to be preserved. The Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) commitment sets out how much greenhouse gas emissions should be absorbed in each Member State and across the EU in 2030. For the Czech Republic, it is set at -1.228 million tonnes CO2eq per year. However, it is questionable how achievable this commitment is - in 2021, the LULUCF sector in the Czech Republic was a net emitter of GHGs, mainly due to the bark beetle calamity (8.5 million tonnes CO2eq emitted). The Czech Republic will have significant challenges in meeting the targets set, as acknowledged in the National Climate and Energy Plan. Mainly due to the bark beetle calamity, the LULUCF sector is significantly out of balance - in 2020 the sector emitted more than 14 Mt CO2eq. According to the pessimistic scenario in the NKEP, the Czech Republic will not reach a balance between emissions and removals even by 2030. According to the optimistic scenario, the target could be met, but as the Commission also points out in its assessment of the NKEP, nowhere does it specify what measures the optimistic scenario should contain and what conditions should be met to achieve it. The Regulation needs considerable strengthening. Two of the major drivers of the declining carbon sink in EU forests are the state of forests, including the increase in harvesting levels as well as our structure and management of forests, and natural disturbances exacerbated by climate change. Almost a quarter (24%) of the EU's roundwood production in 2022 was used as fuelwood. Most Member States reported the increase of the production of fuelwood since 2000. The production of bioenergy, incentivized by the Renewable Energy Directive, is one of the factors driving down the LULUCF sink. Increased harvesting intensity reduces the forest carbon sink. Other biomass policies are also identified by scientific bodies (ESABCC and EEA) as exercising pressure on the LULUCF sink. Key recommendations to be put in place: End all subsidies and other incentives for burning primary woody biomass, and for biofuel or other energy crops that involve the dedicated use of land. Member States should comply with the legal requirements to assess their level of harvesting and make appropriate considerations on its impact on the LULUCF sink. Amend conflicting legislation to keep biomass demand within limits identified by the availability of climate-friendly biomass feedstocks. Member States should better integrate in their modelling biodiversity, nature restoration, and nature-based solutions to enhance carbon sinks and resilience by i) ensuring the strict protection of all remaining primary and old-growth forests; ii) nature-friendly afforestation, reforestation and forest ecosystem restoration; iii) avoiding conversion and degradation of wetlands and other organic soils; iv) close-to-nature forest management & agricultural soil management practices. Full implementation of the EU Deforestation and Forest Degradation Regulation. Remove the flexibilities allowed between the LULUCF and ESR sectors. Better enforcement of the LULUCF targets.
Read full responseMeeting with Mikuláš Peksa (Member of the European Parliament)
12 Feb 2024 · Climate protection
Meeting with Mikuláš Peksa (Member of the European Parliament)
12 May 2021 · Environmental protection
Response to EU Forest Strategy
3 Dec 2020
Hnutí DUHA - Part 3
Additionaly:
- With reference to 'sustainable forest-based industry' and 'sustainable forest management': it is important to point out that 'sustainable' is a contested term which is interpreted differently by different stakeholders, and that the Commission needs to develop a clear definition which truly reflects what 'sustainable' should mean and ensure that this puts ecological and climate goals first - since as we know, nature and the climate can't adapt to human needs, but we can adapt and innovate.
- In this case, a 'sustainable forest-based industry' should be one which prioritises recycling rather than always logging for new timber, which does not allow economic incentives to override ecological goals (for instance forest harvesting does not need to increase, rather wood use needs to become more efficient), and whose activities could even increase biodiversity, forest health and the carbon sink.
- Commission should recognise strict protection of forests and non-intervention measures as a legitimate and strong management choice.
- The social mandate of state agencies, managing 40% of forests, requires fuller recognition, with set-aside of forest areas, first of all that one which are uneconomic and often only logged because of statute.
- Promote similar protection and restoration where appropriate for non-EU countries, eg through Neighbour Agreements, Transition Treaties, trade & aid policy, best practice dissemination
- Ensure EU policies for the environment, bioenergy, trade and aid not cause direct or indirect damage to forests overseas
Read full responseResponse to Protecting biodiversity: nature restoration targets
1 Dec 2020
1 - Protection of existing ecosystems (particularly forest) is far more cost-effective than restoration. It is an obvious point, often overlooked.
2 - The need for clear definition-driven targets with 5 yearly progress assessments to 2050 and compulsory (legal) MS plans to develop these
3 - Non-intervention and natural processes should be prioritised where feasible for ongoing management of restored areas within the 10% strict protection area targets (we recommend c 15% for forests see below), to maximise climate change mitigation & ecosystem benefit and enable a practical, enforceable and cost-effective approach within budgets likely to be available
4 - Restoration should be from natural regeneration wherever feasible, particularly within degraded old growth/primary forests, unless seed sources are absent
5 - The 3 billion tree planting initiative should focus on creating natural forest, planted at low ecosystem-friendly not commercial densities, with emphasis on food plants included to fast-track biodiversity recovery
6 - Linkage of the 25,000 km river restoration targets to a river basin scale approach for flood management, including restoration of habitats (particularly forest) in upland watersheds and lowland sinks
7 - Restoration Strategy needs to include a full range of biogeographic locations, not confined to lower-cost uplands and locations of marginal fertility. Habitat mosaics and ecotones should be emphasised
8 - Connectivity, green and blue, should be planned with ecological corridors of appropriate design, width and species content to ensure achievement of objectives - eg movement of species, integration of gene pools - are properly tuned to local biodiversity requirements
9 - CAP Reform should include substantial funding restructure to mitigate climate change, enabling creation of large new areas of carbon-sequestering natural ecosystems and engaging the PES (Payment for Ecosystem Services) agenda. Ecological Focus Areas, tradable at regional level for consolidation, could be one means of achieving this. Capital Buy Out funds could be another.
10 - It is important to ensure adequate support for local landowners, land users and communities to incentivise their participation, with reform of compensation systems: appropriate payments, well promoted, readily accessible
11 - Further funding support should be enabled through full activation of the greatly under-utilised PES agenda - converting economic value into cashflow by promoting best practice and the entities able to achieve it. This implies capacity building for skills including ecosystem service valuation, enterprise implementation and facilitation of funding from projects involving carbon sequestration/storage, flood mitigation, water table stabilisation, air & water purification, ecotourism etc
12 - Taking just the last of these ecosystem services - ecotourism - appropriate planning, capacity building and counselling support packages can greatly enhance value-added for local community based enterprise and more general rural economic benefit
Linkage of Restoration Strategy to the 25% of Climate Fund budget allocated for nature-based solutions
Read full responseResponse to Updating the EU Emissions Trading System
24 Nov 2020
Revidována směrnice č. 2008/98/ES o odpadech (WFD) požaduje omezení skládkování komunálních odpadů na max. 10 % a výrazný nárůst skutečné recyklace komunálních odpadů na minimálně 65 %. Toto je v ČR chybně chápáno jako požadavek směrnice na zvýšenít podílu spalování komunálního odpadu s energetickým využitím. V ČR jsou již připraveny plány na výstavbu nových spaloven s kapacitou převyšující 1 milion tun/ročně (asi 20 % stávající produkce komunálního odpadu v ČR), ale žádné plány pro výrazné zvýšení recyklační kapacity.
Je otázkou jak EK přesvědčí ČR ke zvýšení recyklace KO, když si ČR při přípravě stávajícího Plánu odpadového hospodářství ČR cíl pro recyklaci komunálních odpadů dokonce snížilo (!), zatímco na úrovni EU se debatovalo o zvýšení recyklačních cílů. Navíc ČR řadu let ignoruje požadavek skládkové směrnice z roku 1999 na skládkování pouze upravených odpadů a protože Evropská komise oficiálně nic nenamítá, tak jej ČR plánuje neplnit až do roku 2030 (podle právě schváleného českého zákona o odpadech, jež by měl implementovat WFD).
Článek 22 WFD požaduje, aby členské země EU zajistily že do 31. prosince 2023 bude biologický odpad buď tříděn a recyklován u zdroje, nebo bude podléhat tříděnému sběru a nebude směšován s ostatními druhy odpadů. Ačkoli tato povinnost není obsažena v nové odpadové legislativě implementující v ČR WFD, lze očekávat, že podíl biologicky rozložitelného odpadu ve směsném komunálním odpadu bude klesat a energie bude získávána především spalováním plastů vyráběných z ropy a zemního plynu. Při spalování směsného komunálního odpadu ve spalovnách tedy bude stále více docházet k výrobě energie převážně z fosilních zdrojů. Což je z hlediska snah EU být klimaticky neutrální v roce 2050 zcela kontraproduktivní.
Jsme tedy přesvědčeni, že spalování odpadů musí být zahrnuto do systému EU ETS. Jedině tak může EU budovat ekonomiku založenou na bezuhlíkových technologiích. Nevidíme důvod dávat spalování odpadů výjimku.
Zahrnutí spalování do systému EU ETS by vedlo ke zdražení spalování odpadu, což by podpořilo nízkouhlíkové možnosti zpracování (biologické zpracování) znovupoužití odpadů a předcházení vzniku odpadu.
Read full responseResponse to Commission Implementing Regulation on the Modernisation Fund
17 Mar 2020
Hnutí DUHA - Friends of the Earth Czech Republic (Hnutí DUHA) gives the following feedback on the draft Commission Implementing Regulation laying down detailed rules as regards the operation of the Modernisation Fund:
General Comments
The Modernisation Fund has to contribute to climate change mitigation in the energy sector by financing support to move the EU towards a real circular economy. This includes using the available funds for projects dealing with the use of separately collected biowaste (biogas production and composting). At present, a total of 2.5 million tons of municipal waste including one million tons of biodegradable municipal waste not undergoing any prior treatment ends in secured landfills in the Czech Republic each year. Over the long term, the Czech Republic is failing to fulfill articles 5 and 6(a) of the Landfill Directive and the Czech government intends to keep it that way until 2030 (as per the current government proposal of new waste law). This means there is a large potential for biogas generation and for composting from biowaste feedstock.
The Modernisation Fund should exclude funding of Waste-to-Energy (W2E). Circular Economy means that the EU is not going to foster greater incineration but rather the recycling and reuse of waste in the most appropriate manner. The EU Taxonomy is also preventing investment to W2E from EU money. Based on its Action Plan for Circular Economy the European Commission would like to halve the amount of mixed municipal waste which is the main input for W2E plants. According to Hnutí DUHA, the Czech Republic needs to improve the separation of biowaste and shift the municipal waste from landfills to separation and real recycling, we do not have to keep the amount of mixed waste and shift it from landfills to W2E. It is known that W2E generates a significant amount of direct fossil CO2 emissions (540 g CO2/kWh), which is two times higher than the current EU28 average electricity grid intensity (296 g CO2/kWh).
Specific Proposals
In Article 6 (Confirmation of priority investments) we propose to add the following point No. 11: “The decisions on confirmation of the proposal as a priority investment will be published on a special website no later than two weeks after approval.”
In Article 7 (Recommendations on non-priority investments) we propose to add the following point No. 11: “The decisions on the recommendation on non-priority investment will be published on a special website no later than two weeks after approval.”
Insted of Hnutí DUHA
Ivo Kropáček, waste expert
Read full responseMeeting with Helena Braun (Cabinet of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and Greenpeace European Unit and
18 Oct 2018 · discussion on Plastics Strategy