About: Biodiversity
Redirect harmful subsidies to benefit the planet, UN urges governments
Head of the Kunming biodiversity summit asks nations to review destructive support for fishing, agriculture and other industries. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Time for governments to take biodiversity loss as seriously as climate change
Together with climate change, the world is also facing a biodiversity crisis, which has failed to capture the same attention. But efforts made by governments to tackle the climate crisis show that action is possible when there is sufficient political will, writes Janice Weatherley-Singh ahead of a UN convention on biological diversity.
Lemurs and giant tortoises among species at risk if global warming reaches 3°C
Unique island species including lemurs and the Galapagos giant tortoise could be at high risk of extinction if the planet warms by more than 3°C above pre-industrial levels, new research warns. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
UN’s Kunming biodiversity summit delayed a second time
A key United Nations summit to negotiate an accord for nature similar to the Paris climate agreement has been postponed for a second time, it has been announced. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
EU Court bans controversial French bird hunting practice
In a ruling on Wednesday (17 March) the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg banned the traditional French bird-hunting practice that consists of using so-called glue traps because it was "likely to cause other than negligible damage to non-target species caught". EURACTIV France reports.
What are the realities of the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies?
According to Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission: “At the heart of the Green Deal the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies point to a new and better balance of nature, food systems and biodiversity; to protect our...
Beyond Farm to Fork: the ‘agricultural’ side of EU’s biodiversity strategy
The European Union's bid to tackle biodiversity loss goes hand in hand with the new ambition of making the food system more sustainable, involving several farming aspects.
How Brussels can help or hinder the fight against malaria
The EU's Biodiversity Strategy is a defining moment not only for conservation but for setting out the parameters within which people and planet can be protected, writes Fredros Okumu,
Biodiversity in Europe: EU aims to protect 30% of land and sea
With a UN biodiversity summit approaching in spring, 2021 has been hailed as a super year for biodiversity. As part of its contribution, the European Commission is preparing legislation to introduce legal protection for 30% of land and sea in Europe.
‘Historic step’ as European Parliament approves green recovery fund
Lawmakers in the European Parliament voted to pass the EU's €672.5 recovery and resilience facility on Tuesday evening (9 February), unlocking unprecedented funding aimed at helping Europe "build back better" after the COVID-19 crisis.
Biodiversity needs its own Paris Agreement, von der Leyen says
The world needs a Paris-style agreement for biodiversity, the President of the European Commission said on Tuesday (26 January).
Competition or cooperation? EU, US enter new era of climate diplomacy
As Joe Biden takes the reins of a tumultuous America, analysts have tempered expectations about the ability of the new US administration to closely align with Europe on climate change.
Biodiversity protection must be included in all EU policy, says Greens
The test for the EU's biodiversity strategy will be whether all EU legislation matches its ambition on nature protection, Green lawmakers argued in an environment committee debate about the strategy on Thursday (14 January).
The EU’s watershed deforestation moment?
This week Ursula von der Leyen signalled the EU’s desire to lead the world in the fight against global deforestation. But if the key drivers of deforestation aren’t addressed, progress will remain limited, writes Julia Christian.
German environment ministry proposes a social contract for green agriculture
German environment minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) is hosting a virtual agricultural congress on Wednesday (13 January) to discuss sustainable agriculture and the agreement between food production, environment and climate. At the centre, however, is a social contract. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Europe renews pledge to fight deforestation at Paris biodiversity summit
The importance of forests for biodiversity and the need to protect them to prevent future pandemics was emphasised by Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel at the One Planet Summit on Monday (11 January).
One Planet Summit: no climate fix without biodiversity
A UN-backed summit Monday of political leaders and CEOs pledging to reverse the accelerating destruction of the natural world was long on promises and short on cash.
EU agrees to set aside 37% of recovery fund for green transition
Negotiations between the European Parliament and EU member states on the bloc's coronavirus recovery fund concluded early on Friday morning (18 December), unlocking €265 billion of the total €672.5 available for the green transition in EU countries.
Fighting for the ocean: the story of tackling IUU
The European Union is leading the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and has a lot to be proud of. Yet, many challenges are still lying ahead, writes Virginijus Sinkevičius.
Parliament pulls trigger on lead ammunition in wetlands
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday (25 November) to ban the use of lead ammunition in wetlands, triggering cries of victory among conservation groups, who said history has been made.
Auditors raise ‘red flag’ over EU efforts to protect seas
Efforts to protect the European Union seas are failing to slow biodiversity loss or prevent overfishing, with the Mediterranean under particular threat, a report by auditors said on Thursday (26 November).
Brazil rejects UN biodiversity Conference budget, putting COP15 at risk
Brazil voted against the 2021 budget of the UN Biodiversity Conference last week and a new text is due to be proposed this Wednesday, but the clock is ticking. EURACTIV France reports.
As EU plans offshore wind boom, Greens worry about fish
The European Commission laid out plans on Thursday (19 November) for a massive scale-up of offshore wind, aiming for a 25-fold increase in wind power at sea as part of EU efforts to phase out fossil fuels and combat global warming.