Nine EU Ministers To Discuss Climate Change Impact On Economy On February 11-12 In Finland

Umer Jamshaid Published February 11, 2019 | 04:41 PM

Ministers and state secretaries from nine EU countries will discuss in the Finnish city of Espoo on February 11-12 the impact of climate change on the economy and will be engaged in development of a common EU position on this issue, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Housing said on Monday

HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2019) Ministers and state secretaries from nine EU countries will discuss in the Finnish city of Espoo on February 11-12 the impact of climate change on the economy and will be engaged in development of a common EU position on this issue, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Housing said on Monday.

"Ministers and state secretaries from Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden have been invited by Kimmo Tiilikainen, Minister of the Environment, Energy and Housing in Finland. The aim of the meeting is to discuss and develop common ideas and initiatives that are important for future circular economy policies in the European Union but also at the national level," the statement said.

The Finnish ministry added that the circular economy should become the next stage of economic development.

"Today, we extract over 80 billion tonnes of materials per year, of which a mere nine per cent is reused or recycled by the global economy. Switching to a more circular economy in the EU alone could cut industrial emissions by more than half by 2050. Therefore, it is important to develop strategies for key sectors and industries and to take into account circular actions and their decarbonisation potential," the ministry said.

During the trip to Finland, EU ministers will also visit European Chemicals Agency to discuss the role of the chemicals management system in promoting circularity. According to the ministry, circularity of the economy much depends on the knowledge of chemical composition of consumer products and the ability to track chemical substances in waste streams and material flows.