Greening EU Development Cooperation
As one of the largest donors and the biggest trading bloc in the world, Europe has a special responsibility to ensure that global natural resources are used sustainably. WWF promotes the establishment of a European Sustainable Development Initiative (ESDI) for EU development cooperation, to improve and facilitate the integration of sustainability and environmental concerns into mainstream EU aid. Under this Initiative practical support and expertise would be provided to the European Commission and partners in recipient countries. The ESDI would further address current constraints through (i) building capacity in the European Commission and in recipient countries, (ii) increasing Southern participation in sustainable development, (iii) increasing cooperation and the exchange of existing know-how and experience, and (iv) stimulating systematic monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the environmental performance of EU funded projects. WWF is seeking high level political commitment of the EU Institutions to make the integration of environmental sustainability in EU aid a reality.
Sustainable Development in the Euro-Mediterranean Region