Feature

New Environmentalism: An open event with EU Commissioner for Environment Dr Janez Potočnik

SEI, the EU Commission and Stockholm University hosted a lunch seminar with Dr. Janez Potočnik, EU Commissioner for the Environment, on 20 March. Watch a video of the event!

Howard Cambridge / Published on 12 March 2014

Janez Potonik talks about the new environmentalism

If “old environmentalism” was about putting limits on the excesses of our old path to prosperity, the job of new environmentalists is to show that there is a possible new path to prosperity and well-being through a sustainable model of economy and society – Janez Potočnik

The world’s population is increasing rapidly, and with it the consumption of goods and services. This is depleting our natural resources and risks pushing Europe and the world towards even greater and more widespread economic turbulence than that of the past few years.

European Commissioner for the Environment Dr Janez Potočnik spoke about the need to change the economies of the EU – particularly how we produce and consume goods – in order to avoid future resource shortages. How can the EU ensure good standards of living and at the same time conserve its limited natural resources? This question is central to Dr. Potočnik’s call for a “new environmentalism”.

The seminar was opened by Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Vice-Chancellor of Stockholm University, and moderated by SEI Executive Director Johan L. Kuylenstierna.

Dr. Janez Potočnik (left) has been an EU Commissioner for 10 years, and holds a PhD in economics. In 2013 he received a Champions of the Earth award for policy leadership from the UN Environment Programme.

The seminar took place at the Garnisonen complex in central Stockholm, close to SEI’s new headquarters.