This year, on June 5th, the official ‘World Environment Day’ was specially focused on Biodiversity. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our European and global environmental responsibilities to the earth’s habitats, by recognising our current situation and emphasising the need for a radical change in the way we deal with our environment. More than one policy amongst others, it should be the EU’s most crucial priority.
We submit that Europe is currently rising too slowly to the task of protecting our natural environment. It is cause for concern that the European Environment Agency (EEA) noted from the 35 themes of the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 that only 6 were reported to be ‘largely on track’. Furthermore, the 6th National Report to the CBD showed the majority of progress towards each target of the Biodiversity Strategy 2020 was either at an insufficient rate or showed no significant change. While the themes of the European Green Deal are positive and promote “sustainability”, they continue to prioritise growth. This is not convincing that the necessary change in mindset has been made to consider global biosecurity. Our current circumstances only represent a singular consequence of our destructive relationship with the planet. Considering that the likelihood of global crisis stemming from environmental and ecological breakdown, exemplified by the novel coronavirus, is only going to increase in rate given our persistently destructive behaviour it is up to decision-makers to ensure that a holistic approach on how we protect and increase biodiversity is promoted.
We promote the motion raised by over 100 NGOs across Europe for the launch of a large green investment plan, however, we reiterate that economic growth should not be our main target as it is not compatible with biodiversity protection. We acknowledge the Commission’s proposal to reinforce the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, however, we emphasise that the proposals of the recovery plan currently under-represent the importance of biodiversity as a consideration in the budgeting of EU funds. We call for the European Commission to strengthen and deliver on biodiversity outcomes, and are specifically calling for the Commission to:
- Provide a detailed explanation of why the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 did not meet all the targets which were set, and how this has been considered in the 2030 Strategy.
- Provide a clear explanation of how the 30% of land and sea with either ‘protection’ or ‘strict protection’ by 2030 will be protected and what actions can be carried out on these lands.
- Ensure that the targets set in the EU Biodiversity Strategy and Farm to Fork Strategy are legally binding and enforceable by 2021, and that breaches are met with proportional consequences.
- Ensure that recovery stimulus investments are conditional on consistency with the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 and consider companies’ environmental objectives.
- Enforce without extension Directive 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain single-use plastic products on the environment.
- Develop strategies to transform our food and farm industry towards agroecology as we reckon the F2F framework is encouraging yet insufficient.
- Further commit on the reduction of artificial inputs (pesticides and fertilizers) in our agriculture. For instance, the EFSA should not favour the reauthorization of glyphosate (post 2022 scheme) and other devastating pesticides in the EU.
We acknowledge that a positive future for us all will require a balance of personal, local, and systemic changes, however, the collective mindset necessary for this will need to be holistic, ambitious, and challenging. We hope to see this in the recovery package, Green New Deal, and all further European Commission action.
It must be recognised that the harshest effects of the climate and biodiversity crisis will impact those who have had the least influence over it. The poor, the global south, and the young. Recent events have highlighted the huge costs and risks of our unbalanced, destructive, and wasteful relationship with the planet and its natural resources. Hence, we ask you to consider our submissions in the next stages of the recovery plan, and further recognise the importance of youth participation in the vital discussions on global biodiversity protection, on World Earth Day and beyond.
