EU’s climate change strategy and marine resources

EUfishmeal welcomes EU’s new climate change strategy

Globally, more than 190 countries have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to pursue the goals of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the EU has set its own climate action targets and the EU Commission has made a long-term strategic vision to achieve a “prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy”. Its objective is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses by 80-95 % before 2050 compared to 1990.

In the new European vision from November 2018, aquaculture is categorised as a non-CO₂ emitting sector It is recognized that less land requirements are needed to produce a given amount of protein from aquaculture than for other sources. As changes in diet could reduce emissions there is a desire to increase the human intake of seafood. For this to happen, the Commission suggests that there is a need for a shift toward a more sustainable aquaculture. At EUfishmeal, we welcome an improved and more sustainable productivity of aquatic and marine resources.

Along with increased sustainability, the EU aims to transition towards a circular economy with a high level of resource efficiency where the entire production process works to reduce emissions. This can e.g. be done through improved management of waste.

The production of fishmeal and fish oil is a good example of this. For us, the waste materials from the fish processing industry is a valuable resource.

It is acknowledged that an improvement of aquatic and marine resources is of great importance for the bio-economy for tackling climate change as they can supply new sources of protein and help reduce the pressure on agricultural land.