WWF

Today, the EU has used up nature’s budget for the year

Did you think Europe was doing relatively well, environmentally speaking? EU Overshoot Day is your reality check. The EU elections and the response of EU leaders will be crucial to turn the tide, writes Ester Asin.

EU hits pause on helping farmers fight climate change

The farming sector is often blasted for its contribution to climate change. But it also has unique potential to capture and store carbon, write Imke Lübbeke and Andreas Baumüller.

No water, no agriculture

The state of Europe’s water ecosystems puts a big question mark over the future availability of freshwater, for people and for all manner of industry, not least for food production and agriculture, writes Jabier Ruiz.

Climate action: Seeds of hope for 2019

While there is a growing recognition of the need for climate action, last year taught us that for a sustainable long-term energy transition to be effective, the roadmap to get there needs to be inclusive and citizen-driven, writes Imke Lübbeke.

The Sustainable Blue Economy: EU’s actions must match its words

As global leaders met at the world’s first Sustainable Blue Economy conference this week, the EU must face the sobering reality of the state of our ocean and stand by its commitments to sustainably protect and effectively manage Europe’s seas before it’s too late, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

‘The other COP’: EU must be a champion for nature at UN biodiversity convention

With biodiversity in drastic decline, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh is a crucial moment. As the international community negotiates a new global biodiversity framework, the EU must become a leader for nature conservation, both globally and at home, argues Ester Asin.

Healthy rivers and lakes are not ‘nice-to-haves’, they are essential to our existence

Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands are our life support system, but EU member states are trying to destroy the law that protects them and the window to save them is closing, warns Andreas Baumüller.

EU should aim for net-zero emissions by 2040 to fight global warming

Keeping global temperature rise to 1.5°C is critical - and still possible. But it means the EU should aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, writes Andrea Kohl.

The EU must take the lead on international fisheries governance

As the largest seafood market in the world, importing more than 60% of its seafood from other countries, the EU has a responsibility to tackle illegal fishing, writes Dr Samantha Burgess.

Time for EU member states to protect lakes and rivers

The latest science shows that Europe’s freshwater bodies are in a dreadful ecological state. Governments must finally take responsibility and undertake serious efforts to comply with EU legislation, urges Andreas Baumüller.

Celebrating 25 years of the EU’s nature directives

Europe’s nature protection legislation has had remarkable success with a tiny budget over the last 25 years. Just think what we could achieve with adequate funding in the next quarter-century, writes Andreas Baumüller.

Make climate planning part of an economy-wide strategy

The EU must radically improve its climate and energy plans if the Paris Agreement is to be anything more than a missed opportunity, write Geneviève Pons and Imke Lübbeke.

Saving our wildlife requires radical policy change

Cute animals are social media stars. Facebook and Twitter are peppered with them. Beyond this fun factor though, animals rarely get the attention they deserve. Hopefully, this will change, writes Geneviève Pons, as WWF launches its Living Planet Report.

Putting people and planet first in the EU

The UK referendum result cast doubt on many of the EU’s values: pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality, and a commitment to sustainable development and poverty eradication worldwide, write Geneviève Pons and Seamus Jeffreson.

1,001 nights: The long saga of the EU Nature Directives

It’s been 986 days and nights since the European Commission announced that it was planning a ‘fitness check’ of the Birds and Habitats Directives. Yet, after all this time, we’re still waiting for a conclusion of this saga and a clear statement from the Commission, writes Andreas Baumüller.

From fish to finance: Sustainable development affects every sector

In order to meet the SDGs, we need a clear and ambitious overarching EU strategy for implementing the 2030 Agenda. All aspects of EU policy, from trade to agriculture to finance, will be affected and EU decision-makers must begin to ensure that happens today, writes Geneviève Pons.

Climate finance holds key to Paris deal

With international climate discussions heating up ahead of the Paris COP21, European Finance Ministers can now determine key and critical elements to make a successful deal, writes Geneviève Pons-Deladrière.

The fight against illegal fishing: The EU’s role in a global challenge

The EU not only has a great responsibility to demonstrate legal and sustainable seafood supply chains to its consumers. It must ensure that its access to abundant seafood does not rob more vulnerable communities, of their own, writes Eszter Hidas.