Wednesday 20th May 2020
The EU has just released its new Biodiversity Strategy, a plan to tackle the accelerating collapse of nature both within Members States’ territories and those countries from which they import key commodities. Halting biodiversity loss within both land and ocean ecosystems is essential to sustain the natural systems providing protection, food, and livelihoods that our societies and economies rely on. Natural ecosystems are also of course also essential to restoring balance to our climate – providing a third of the required solution by 2030.
The EU Nature Restoration Plan will be an important contributor towards achieving 30 percent of ocean, land and water to be managed as ‘intact and fully-functional natural ecosystems by 2030’. We urge Member States to close the current conservation finance gap and also enable the EU to reprioritise various budget lines to free-up more funding resources for nature.
We also applaud the EU’s plan to explore the more stringent regulation of deforestation impacts embedded within imports of agricultural commodities and consumer goods. Responding to the current crisis will require vast outlays by government, to underpin health and welfare systems, to support banks and businesses and stimulate recovery, as well as build greater resilience in the face of future shocks.
“When a bloc with the power and influence of the EU decides to act decisively and positively for nature, the benefits will be felt far and wide both within the EU and on the world stage. We hope to see strong implementation and a positive domino effect where even in year of delayed environmental convenings, governments can make bold and effective changes for a nature positive and carbon neutral future,” says Luc Bas, IUCN’s Director of its European regional office.
Read the full press release here and IUCN’s news story here.