The Netherlands: Dutch economy growing greener

As reported in Statistics Netherlands’ latest publication Green Growth in the Netherlands 2015, the Dutch economy has become ‘greener’ over the past 15 years. Out of the six different themes structured around green growth, progress has been made on five themes. For example, environmental efficiency in the economy is improving, although compared to other European countries the Netherlands obtains a relatively low score on this theme.

Green growth is measured by using a framework of environmental and economic indicators as defined by the OECD. Within this framework, six themes were identified: environmental efficiency, raw material efficiency, natural resources, environmental quality, green policy instruments and economic opportunities. These themes cover a total of 36 indicators.

Over the period 2000-2014, the Netherlands made headway on 22 of the indicators while it retreated on 8. As a result, improvement rather than deterioration can be seen on five out of six themes. In spite of this advance, the Netherlands is in the bottom half of the European ranking on four out of the six themes, and its position has not improved in recent years. Other countries, too, are putting less economic pressure on the environment than in the past.

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Germany celebrates 30 years since fall of Berlin Wall

Nationwide celebrations have kicked off in Germany to mark 30 years since the Berlin Wall fell. The event shows that "no wall... is so high and so wide that it could not be broken through," said Chancellor Angela Merkel.

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https://www.dw.com/en/germany-celebrates-30-years-since-fall-of-berlin-wall-live-updates/a-51178230

EU needs to learn the 'language of power', incoming chief says

The European Union can no longer rely on soft power to promote its interests and must develop more security "muscle" and policy focus on trade, incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

In a speech on the state of Europe, von der Leyen stressed the EU’s strengths as a bastion of openness and democracy in a troubled world and said Brexit had forged a tighter group out of the remaining members of the bloc.

“We must go our own European way with confidence,” she said in Berlin. But she added: “Soft power alone won’t suffice today if we Europeans want to assert ourselves in the world. Europe must also learn the language of power.” 

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https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-eu-commission-von-der-leyen/eu-needs-to-learn-the-language-of-power-incoming-chief-says-idUKKBN1XI2BM

The Netherlands - Smoking Statistics: Netherlands has few smokers compared to other countries

Internationally, the Netherlands has a relatively low percentage of smokers, according to figures from the OECD publication Health at a glance 2019, that Statistics Netherlands released on Thursday.

The percentage of daily smokers in the Netherlands fell from 23 percent in 2007 to 17 percent in 2017, just under the 18 percent average in OECD countries.

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https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/07/netherlands-smokers-compared-countries

Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’ - as Trump now formally takes the US out of the climate accord

Statement sets out ‘vital signs’ as indicators of magnitude of the climate emergency.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/05/climate-crisis-11000-scientists-warn-of-untold-suffering?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Add_to_Firefox

Germany: In 20 years, 1 in 3 people will be a migrant

In large cities of Germany up to 70% of inhabitants will have a migrant background in two decades, experts say. Germany will need to attract a "range of nationalities" to keep the "economy stable."

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https://www.dw.com/en/germany-in-20-years-1-in-3-people-will-be-a-migrant/a-51101172

The Netherlands: Teachers union reverses course; Renews call for national strike on Wednesday

The largest union representing education workers in the Netherlands now wants its membership to take part in a national educators strike on Wednesday after its chairperson was pushed to resign.

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https://nltimes.nl/2019/11/03/teachers-union-reverses-course-renews-call-national-strike-wednesday