Dear Water Europe friends,
This month, we released our socio-economic study on the ‘’Value of the EU Investing in Water’’. This has been a great milestone, receiving a lot of attention within the EU sphere but also from international media outlets as the Politico, Euronews, Financial Times, The Guardian, and CNN. Such coverage is important, as it comes at a pivotal moment with the new European Commission beginning its mandate. It’s now the moment to ensure that Europe is geared up for realising the Water-Smart Society.
With a EU water resilience strategy decided and a new commissioner ready to lead, we need to secure the necessary funding to make our vision a reality. That’s why establishing a Water Transition Fund is essential.
Our socio-economic study demonstrates that the water transition fund is not only necessary to make our systems more resilient to climate change and demographic changes but it is also a sound investment. The return on this investment spans economic growth, societal well-being, and environmental sustainability. It’s critical to support the new commissioner Roswall in setting up this fund and to make the European member states see the immense value of investing in water.
This week, I also attended the GREENPACT European ESG Summit, speaking at the session ‘Blue Deal. Protection of Water Resources in Europe’. My message, then and now again, is one: to achieve the ambitions of the green deal, we need a complementary blue deal. ” Without blue, there is no green.”
I am confident that awareness is rising, but it must increase at all levels, among political leaders as well as consumers. In this regard, the European Citizens’ Initiative for a Water-Smart and Resilient Europe that was launched this month, plays a crucial role by engaging EU citizens directly in this effort. One million signatures need to be collected for this purpose and this powerful call to action is already underway. I believe every one of us should leverage our networks to support this vital initiative. Our grandchildren will be grateful for making the right investments for their future.