European Environment Commissioner: EU to be world leader in sustainability

The European Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, has predicted that Europe will cement its position as a world leader on clean tech which will help to revive the economy and boost competition in the private sector.

Potočnik was speaking at the Industrial GreenTec Fair in Hannover on Monday and told executives that that EU has the opportunity to "play the role of the global leader in sustainability and competitiveness".

He argued that EU clean tech companies have achieved a combined turnover of billions of Euros and has grown strongly throughout the economic downturn. "They have grown at between six per cent and eight per cent per year during the crisis period, EU eco-industries provide well over three million direct jobs, again with a growth rate of about seven per cent during the crisis period" Potočnik said.

Potočnik argued that strong environmental standards have increased competitiveness and established the EU as one of the world's leading clean tech hubs. "Our industries and services have applied their creativity and their innovation to helping us achieve the objectives that are set out in European legislation to protect our environment and health," he said. "It is no accident that the biggest eco-industry sectors are in waste management - at 30 per cent, water supply - 21 per cent, wastewater management - 13 per cent, and recycled materials - also 13 per cent. These just happen to be the areas where Europe leads the world in environmental standards. And the fastest growing areas are in areas where we have developed legislation more recently, such as renewable energy - growing at 13 per cent per year, and recycled materials - growing at 18 per cent."

He called on ‘green’ businesses to build on their leadership position and also suggested they defend the regulations that had helped create eco-industries.