H2020 regional workshop: Learning to measure carbon and water footprints

Measuring carbon and water footprints was the theme of the latest Horizon 2020 regional workshop held in Athens on 20 and 21 June 2011, gathering 37 participants representing government authorities and civil society from 11 Mediterranean countries. 

A press release said the two-day course showcased existing Mediterranean frameworks and strategies, and built the case for reducing carbon and water footprints, through measurements and indicators. Trainees benefited from an interactive experience through role playing and the actual calculation of carbon and water footprints. 

Youssef Mejai, Public Service Advisor in the International Cooperation Division of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, acknowledged the importance of the training, saying that"Carbon and water footprints have become very important concepts nowadays, allowing us to estimate the environmental behaviour of a building, a product, an organisation, etc. Tunisia can benefit from the application of such indicators to monitor its carbon and water footprint. I truly believe that Horizon 2020 improves the skills of managers in the region, helping us to protect our beloved sea."

Horizon 2020 is a Euro-Mediterranean initiative that aims to improve the quality of life of more than 420 million citizens living in the 25 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It is an umbrella programme drawing together all the policies, strategies and action plans for enhancing environmental protection. Horizon 2020 has mechanisms in capacity-building, research, monitoring and review that place the initiative in an excellent position to address the challenges it faces and ensure the efficient and effective use of the available resources. The inclusion of the Horizon 2020 Initiative as one of the six components of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) adds to the political impetus to address major environmental challenges. (ENPI Info Centre)