As part of the Action2020 Hungary Food and Nature program the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands organized a unique digital, live-guided tour to the World Horti Center (WHC) on 9 July, 2020. The WHC is the knowledge and innovation center for international greenhouse horticulture in the Netherlands.

The organizers invited company leaders and representatives, academics, experts, researchers of the sector and the press to get an insight into this leading platform where business, education, research and government jointly innovate, connect, inspire and share knowledge. It is situated in Naaldwijk in the Netherlands, a country which is a frontrunner of greenhouse horticulture and is the world’s second exporter of agricultural products.

The tour was opened by René van Hell, the ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, and Irén Márta, managing director of BCSDH. After that, Joep Hendricks, CEO of WHC, Mark Zwinkels, Director International of WHC and Gert Stiekema, Executive Director of Topsector Horticulture and Starting Materials presented the operation of WHC.

Participants could learn how the Triple Helix model works in practice, how WHC contributes to increase the level of sustainability in the horticulture sector, also outside of the Netherlands, and how WHC involves students of all levels to help solve issues and challenges in the future.

.

Commitments and actions to reduce carbon emission

At the online “Race to Zero Carbon” event, BCSDH, the British Embassy, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Embassy of Germany are urging domestic companies to commit to a faster and more ambitious GHG emission reductions and to announce their commitments reducing the impacts of climate change.

The Race to Zero Carbon event promotes the post-pandemic economic recovery as a sustainable one and build momentum around the shift to a decarbonised economy ahead of COP26, where governments and companies must strengthen their contributions to the Paris Agreement.

Attila Chikán Jr., president of BCSDH, Iain Lindsay, British Ambassador to Hungary, H.E. René van Hell, Ambassador of Netherlands to Hungary, Klaus Streicher, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, and Dr. Barbara Botos, Deputy Minister of State for Climate Policy and Prof. Dr. Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice Chair of Working Group III of IPCC are urging domestic companies to commit to a faster and more ambitious emission reductions and to announce their commitments reducing the impacts of climate change.

The European Commission presented its roadmap, the European Green Deal in December 2019. In March, it recommended an EU climate law, that would allow the continent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The EU roadmap for climate targets remains in place, but the climate regulation must also be approved by the European Parliament, preferably before the next UN COP26 climate conference postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic. They defined Hungary’s climate and energy policy and the energy transition scenario towards carbon neutrality in Hungary’s long-term climate strategy (National Clean Development Strategy) until 2050, in the National Energy and Climate Plan until 2030, also covering the strategy until 2040.

Please, click here to start your registration here.

The event will be in English, without any interpretation.

For further information, contact Ivett Takács (ivett.takacs@bcsdh.hu).

Today on World Environment Day, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) released its new climate action roadmap to help companies reach net-zero carbon emissions before 2050.

Geneva, 5 June 2020: SOS 1.5: The road to a resilient, zero-carbon carbon future provides companies with a step-by-step framework and key actions to start and advance their journey to net-zero emissions – critical to keeping the world at a safe operating space for people and planet.

The severity of climate change is already a crushing reality for many people around the world. But it’s the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought devastation to millions of people that has delivered the whole world a stark reminder of our vulnerability to systemic risk. The COVID-19 crisis has shown us that the world cannot afford to return to a pre-pandemic normal. We have no choice. We must build resilience against all the interconnected crises we face, and the biggest of all remains the climate emergency.

Business has the responsibility to lead the charge to net-zero emissions before 2050 – and they know it. Today also marks the launch of the Climate Ambition Alliance’s Race to Zero campaign: a coalition of leaders from countries, businesses, cities, regions, investors and civil society – all committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 at the very latest.

Raising the bar for climate ambition across the economy, this year’s World Environment Day shows that the real economy is moving to net-zero. But it’s not happening fast enough. Business needs to work together across sectors and value chains to pair their climate targets and pledges with science-based, transformative climate action in line with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.

Framework to accelerate a company’s journey to net-zero

WBCSD’s new science-based action roadmap for companies of all sizes and sectors aligns with the science and allows companies to decarbonize to net-zero carbon emissions before 2050. Developed with WBCSD member companies and the Boston Consulting Group, our framework provides six key steps and 16 actions which companies at any stage in the journey can follow to accelerate their journey to net-zero.

SOS 1.5 key steps for companies:

• Ground ambition in purpose
• Understand climate risks and opportunities
• Set decarbonization milestones and targets
• Build a climate program in line with company strategy
• Mobilize resources broadly to deliver impact
• Engage, disclose and communicate climate action

Business has the responsibility to keep the world within a safe-operating space of 1.5°C: creating green jobs, delivering economic growth and building a more resilient society. All companies must align with the science and implement climate action plans to reach net-zero before 2050.

SOS 1.5 supports all business commitments and initiatives to achieve the 1.5°C goal and provides a framework for companies to deliver and implement climate action to net-zero.

“To protect the employees, customers and the societies they serve and do no harm, business must act now – at scale—to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy where economic growth is decoupled from carbon and more than nine billion people are able to live well, within the limits of the planet by no later than 2050. It’s more important than ever that business starts to invest and deploy their solutions, especially now in an economic recession from COVID-19” said María Mendiluce, – Managing Director, Climate & Energy, WBCSD.

“Business has the responsibility to accelerate our transition to a net-zero economy and we need to act now. SOS 1.5 is an exciting venture for businesses at all stages of their climate journey to commit to the science and design and implement their action plan to net-zero. Beyond individual journeys, companies leading on climate action need to work together across sectors and value chains to scale the investments and innovations we need to decarbonize the economy. Unilever are happy to be part of SOS 1.5: bringing companies together to tackle the biggest barriers and speed up our transition to a fairer, low-carbon world” said Alan Jope – CEO, Unilever.

“Aligning business investments and strategy with a 1.5 °C scenario is essential to building a green recovery which creates sustainable jobs and leads to a more efficient, resilient and healthier world. SOS 1.5 provides companies with a platform and framework to start and progress their journey to net-zero faster: to collaborate and overcome the biggest challenges to scaling up investments in low-carbon solutions to accelerate our transition to a climate-neutral economy said Carlos Sallé – Vice-president of Energy Policies and Climate Change, Iberdrola.

“Shell is very pleased to be part of SOS 1.5 and excited about its launch today. SOS 1.5 will support businesses like ours define their roadmaps to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 through helping to bring companies together to collaborate on sectoral decarbonization and develop credible carbon sinks to enable the system change to keep the world within a safe-operating space of 1.5°C. No company can reach net-zero alone. SOS 1.5 accelerates the business path to net-zero by forging collaborations to overcome barriers” said Harry Brekelmans – Projects & Technology Director, Royal Dutch Shell.

“Climate momentum cannot be slowed down by the COVID health and economic crisis. Today more than ever it is clear that E,S and G go hand in hand: we need both socially and environmentally friendly stimuli and investments in a transparent and cooperative world. SOS 1.5 is a plan of action for those who are committed to contribute to net-zero, whether they are starting their journey or already well advanced. It is time now to move from pledges to actions and really decrease emissions without the support of another COVID crisis said Michel Fredeau and Esben Hegnsholt – BCG Climate & Environment. 

The Hungarian Parliament passed a new law that confirms climate-neutrality by 2050 as a legally binding obligation. The adopted legislation demonstrates Hungary’s commitment to tackle climate change in line with the European Commission’s long-term climate objectives, according to the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. Although the new act contains forward-looking elements, it has been criticised for lacking ambitions to effectively fight climate change.

Péter Kaderják, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Policy emphasised that along the policy measures set out in the climate strategies and action plans adopted by the government, Hungary can gradually become a climate-neutral country by the middle of the century without the transition jeopardising economic growth and social welfare.

Earlier this year, the government announced the launch of the Climate and Nature Protection Plan that set out inter alia a support system for the renewable energy production of small and medium-sized enterprises, a six-fold increase of installed solar capacity in the next ten years and new incentives for the procurement of low- and zero-emission vehicles.

Mr Kaderják stressed that by 2030, 90 per cent of the energy generated in Hungary will be carbon-free. This strategy is relying primarily on the combination of nuclear and solar energy, that will account for the majority of Hungary’s power supply according to the government’s long-term energy strategy.

Although the new legislation declared climate-neutrality as a long-term objective, opposition leaders and environmentalist groups voiced their concerns that the 2050 target is both too far and too general. They criticised the new legislation for lacking ambitions as they wanted to see a higher level of commitment to reduce emissions and to increase the share of renewables over the course of the next ten years.

Péter Kaderják argued that Hungary is at the forefront in achieving the undertaken emission reduction targets among the EU Member States.

“By 2030, Hungary will be one of the few Member States that will not only be able to meet the targets of emission reduction in the non-ETS sectors such as transport, building, waste management and agriculture but is expected to meet them even earlier,” claimed Mr Kaderják after the Parliament enacted the new climate law.

However, the Minister of State underlined that the costs of a climate-neutral economy should be borne by the major polluters, reiterating that Hungary opposes the reallocation of funds from the cohesion pockets to climate protection in the EU’s next long-term budget.

Meanwhile, the European Commission is reviewing the EU’s 2030 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in light of the mid-century climate neutrality objective, exploring options for 50 to 55 per cent emissions reduction, a significant increase from the current 2030 targets that stipulates reductions of up to 40 per cent.

In September, the Commission is set to present an analysis, assessing the state of play and the measures presented by the EU member states are sufficient to reach the higher targets.

Yesterday, the Hungarian state also announced that it successfully issued its 1.5 billion euros international green bond for the first time, oversubscribed by five times. The issuer will use the proceeds from the green bond to finance and refinance certain green expenditures of the central budget in accordance with the Sovereign Green Bond Framework Program.

source: CEENERGY NEWS