Sustainability Bites

This episode is part of a series on the Belgian Presidency of the EU. In this episode of Sustainability Bites, we discuss the environment and agriculture with Bénédicte Heinrichs of the SPW (Government of Wallonia). 

More and more attention is being brought to intersectionality, but what are words worth without the concrete actions that follow. How, where, and why we should start caring and more are discussed in this episode!

This episode is part of a series on the Belgian Presidency of the EU. In this episode of Sustainability Bites, we discuss the priorities of the Presidency surrounding food sustainability with Tessa Avermaete from KU Leuven and SFERE, who is known for her research in sustainable food systems and diets.  How can we achieve more ecological production and make more sustainable and healthier food choices?

Happy holidays! This is a time of joy and cheers, and often cheers comes with a clink of glasses. In this episode, Jack Templeton and Margaux Plurien bring together our health and Agrifood team to discuss the EU Beating Cancer Plan, Irish warning labelling and the impact of alcoholic beverages on overall health. 

Onderzoek toont aan dat vleesvervangers vaak gezonder zijn dan echt vlees, een bemoedigend feit voor productontwikkelaars. Tegelijkertijd wordt het argument aangevoerd dat deze vervangers de vleeseetgewoonte in stand houden, vergelijkbaar met hoe vapen het roken in stand houdt. Desondanks pleit Ad voor een pragmatische 'én én' benadering voor het verduurzamen van het voedingssysteem, waarbij zowel technologen als culinaire experts worden aangemoedigd om door te gaan met het ontwikkelen van betere en minder bewerkte plantaardige opties.

Dat het voedselsysteem tegen zijn grenzen aanloopt en dus zal moeten veranderen, kan iedereen wel zien. Die veranderingen gaan vaak over een stapje terug doen, zoals minder vlees, minder verpakking. Suzanne ziet al veel goede voorbeelden van bedrijven die die stap al, maar die krijgen niet altijd de aandacht die ze verdienen. Zonde, want wat je aandacht geeft, groeit vanzelf.

On the 21st of April 2021, the EU Commission announced the adoption of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in line with the commitment made under the European Green Deal. The CSRD will amend the existing Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) and will substantially increase reporting requirements on the companies falling within its scope in its efforts to expand the sustainability information for users. The CSRD applies to more than 50,000 companies, both based in the EU and outside. 

In this episode, our colleague Eleonora Roding shares her advice and insights for companies to get "CSRD ready". 

In the past decade, the popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets has skyrocketed. In this interview, we invite Isabel Boerdam, a pioneer in the Netherlands. Best known for her blog "The Trendy Vegetarian", she has successfully launched and sustained a national campaign funded by a wide range of food producers and retailers: "Week Zonder Vlees". Strong of its success, the campaign has received EU funding under the Green Deal to run in 6 other EU countries. The first stop on the list is Belgium, where the Semaine Sans Viande will take place from the 23rd to the 29th of October 2023.

https://semainesansviande.be

On July 1, 2023, Spain takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will do so for a six-month period, until December 31, 2023. In this episode, our Public Affairs expert Arturo Esclarin Ortiz provides us with a concise review of the Spanish Presidency priorities, the impact of the national elections and the future European parliamentary elections. 

The Green Claims Directive was published on 22 March by the European Commission. It aims at combatting “greenwashing” and enabling consumers to contribute to accelerating the green transition by making informed purchasing decisions based on credible environmental claims and labels.
 In a nutshell, it will impose stricter requirements for companies to back up the claims and environmental labelling they voluntarily provide, such as being "Carbon neutral" or "Environmentally friendly".

In this episode, host Margaux Plurien interviews Marius Rodder, Senior Consultant specialising in corporate sustainability at Corsus, to discuss the EU and German perspectives.