In Italy stable meadows are disappearing through the abandonment of the countryside and soil consumption. Across Europe they occupy a surface area as large as France, and the most flourishing meadows are found in Ireland, Spain and Portugal. They’re fundamental for maintaining biodiversity, be it vegetal or animal, and for
The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, today called for urgent assistance to help save Afghanistan’s next wheat harvest, keep life-sustaining farm animals alive, and avoid a deterioration of the country’s already severe humanitarian crises. FAO is seeking $36 million to speed
France will push for “an accelerated phase-out of pesticides” at the EU level when it takes on the rotating EU Council Presidency in January 2022, President Emmanuel Macron told the World Conservation Congress which opened in Marseille this week. During the opening ceremony of the World Conservation Congress, Macron made
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Alliance of Bioversity International and The International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) released a new study identifying hundreds of diverse plant and animal species that Indigenous Peoples around the world depend on and care for to generate food sustainably
In celebration of the 2021 UN International Year of Creative Economy, UNESCO is pleased to launch a call for nomination to the UNESCO-Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman International Prize for the Creative Economy. Created in 2020, the 50,000 USD Prize is awarded on a biennial basis to outstanding examples of actions to
Slovenia is officially open to tourists. As one of the first countries in the world to have earned the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp, it’s also created GREEN&SAFE designation to help travelers choose the safest accommodations, tours and more. The GREEN&SAFE label is Slovenia’s commitment to responsible, safe and green tourism and
The Southern Aegean probably provides more images of Greece to the world than any place besides the Acropolis. The National Herald, in a wide-ranging conversation with George Chatzimarkos, Governor of South Aegean Region, began by asking what accounts for the world’s fascination with those little islands. George Chatzimarkos: There is
Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, according to new UN Environment Programme report. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the non-governmental organisation Azul have released a new report highlighting how plastic pollution disproportionately affects marginalised communities and communities living in close proximity to
The European Tourism Manifesto alliance of more than 60 travel and tourism organisations warmly welcomes the adoption of the “EU Digital COVID Certificate” Regulation. The Alliance calls on Member States to ensure swift implementation before July to support the restart of the sector in time for the vital summer season,
The main purpose of World Bee Day, which is celebrated on 20 May, is to raise awareness about the significance of the bees and other pollinators for humanity. On 20 December 2017, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) declared 20 May World Bee Day. The initiative came from Slovenia.
Deforestation rates are significantly lower in Indigenous and Tribal territories where governments have formally recognized collective land rights, according to a new report. Jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Fund for the Development of Indigenous Peoples of Latin America and the
The Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Audrey Azoulay opened the UNESCO Forum on Biodiversity by pointing out that one year after its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed what we had already known; “by threatening biodiversity, humanity is threatening the conditions for its own survival”. “The pandemic demonstrated that
Over 60 travel and tourism organisations express their support for the European Commission’s initiative and call to ensure swift implementation in time for summer 2021. The European Tourism Manifesto alliance strongly welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to introduce a common, inter-operable and mutually-recognised Digital Green Certificate. This digital proof that a
Natural ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands and oceans, do a pretty good job of storing carbon and supporting biodiversity. It’s therefore no surprise that Nature-based Solutions (NbS) – actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems, for the benefit of people and nature – are being widely
Over 60 European organisations call for tourism to be firmly anchored in EU national Recovery and Resilience plans. European Tourism Manifesto alliance presents list of reforms and investment ideas to support tourism and make EU economies more resilient. New #Tourism4Recovery campaign launched to support the call and showcase impact
Over 60 travel and tourism organisations unveil concrete recommendations for re-opening travel & tourism in Europe, including creation of Commission-led Task Force to restore freedom of movement. The European Tourism Manifesto alliance, a group of more than 60 public and private travel and tourism organisations and the voice of the
