BATinLoko broadcasts Final Seminar

29 June, Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal

29 June 2011The BATinLoko project (LIFE09 ENV/P/000625) will be holding its Final Seminar on June 29th at Vila Nova de Famalicão (Portugal). The seminar will be broadcast live in English on the project website.

In the textile sector the emission factors associated to BAT implementation aren’t defined, so it is difficult for stakeholders to conclude about the environmental benefit when implementing Best Available Techniques (BAT). The BATinLoko project has worked to determine environmental performance indicators and their relation with economic benefits when implementing BAT, providing the essential information required by textile companies.

This seminar has the aim of presenting these results, namely the environmental performance indicators determined for the sector and the developed software tool.

Read the programme. For more information or to confirm your attendance, please email: DPortela@citeve.pt

OPERA first annual conference

20 June 2011, Bologna (Italy)

The OPERA (LIFE09 ENV/IT/000092)  project is holding it’s first annual conference on  20th june, 2011 in Bologna.

The OPERA project aims to develop a methodology and assessment software tool (RIAT+) that will support local authorities in designing and assessing efficient air quality plans, whilst also taking into account possible synergies with measures to reduce GHG emissions.

By using the RIAT+ Tool each action present in the air quality plan can be evaluated both in terms of air quality benefits and in terms of costs. The goal is to maximize the environmental benefits at fixed costs, or minimize costs at fixed environmental benefits. OPERA will support the understanding on how to select and implement those actions that will reduce air pollution whilst remaining in the budget.

The conference will be the moment to share, discuss and review the specifications of the software tool that is being developed, according to the needs of end-users and stakeholders and it is targeted to an audience of technicians, policy makers and scientists that are involved in air quality management.

For more information on the conference, download the programme.
Due to the limited number of seats available we strongly advise to pre-register here

'Mares de Posidonia' festival

18 June 2011, Nerja (Spain)

The LIFE Posidonia Andalucia project (LIFE09 NAT/ES/000534) is organising its first 'Mares de Posidonia' conference and festival to highlight the value of seagrass meadows in Andalusia.

The Posidonia Oceanica conference will take place in the Cultural center of Nerja. Many activities are scheduled such as exhibitions, children's corner, a crafts fair, artistic workhops. The event will be followed by a concert and a multimedia show which will take place in the evening.

 

'Sustainability and competitiveness in publishing and printing'

15 June 2011, Barcelona, Spain

Two LIFE projects have come together to organise a half-day conference exploring the possibilities for improving competitiveness in the publishing and printing industry through the implementation of environmental policies. The event takes place in the context of the LIFE+ projects BATsGRAPH (LIFE07 ENV/E/000836) and Greening Books (LIFE09 ENV/ES/000457).

The first session will consider sustainable alternatives in offset printing, including the current legal and technical context and different types of paper and natural inks. The LIFE project BATsGRAPH will present its work developing best practice for reducing VOC emissions in the printing industry.

The second session will discuss the development of sustainable printing products, including an exploration of green purchasing decisions and eco-labels. The LIFE project Greening Books will present the work it has undertaken to develop criteria for eco-design of books and magazines, and green publishing.

The final session will be a round table discussion on the complementarities and contradictions between environmental sustainability and competitiveness in the publishing and printing sector.

The event will take place in the Museu Colet, Barcelona on 15 June. It will be opened at 10:00 by the Director of the Advisory Council for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia and closed at 14:00 by the Environmental Quality DG of Catalonia.

To sign up to the event, please contact either project:
AIDO (BATsGRAPH): aagg@aido.es
LEITAT (Greening Books) mescamilla@leitat.org

For more information on the two LIFE projects, visit www.batsgraph.com and www.greeningbooks.eu.

LIFE platform meeting aims to strengthen invertebrate conservation

15-16 June 2011,  Cornwall, United Kingdom

The next LIFE Nature platform meeting will promote the exchange of experience and networking between some 50 experts on invertebrate conservation from across the EU. Scheduled for June 15-16, the event will take place in Cornwall, UK, and will consist of project presentations and group discussions facilitated by the event organiser, Natural England - a non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment is protected and improved.

In addition to LIFE project participants from across the EU, the event will also be attended by experts from outside of the LIFE community, who will bring fresh ideas and perspectives, particularly on how the inclusion of IUCN Red List 'endangered or worse' species as eligible for funding through the LIFE Biodiversity funding stream can help target the conservation of invertebrates.

The meeting will also include a field visit to one of the sites of the “Restoration of the mid Cornwall Moors for the Euphydras aurinia” project (LIFE03 NAT/UK/000042), one of five LIFE Nature projects to have been coordinated by Natural England. The platform meeting is timed to coincide with the best chance to see the Marsh fritillary butterfly (Euphydras aurinia) in flight.

For more information on the meeting please contact Donald Lunan at the External Monitoring Team.