To contain biodiversity loss and foster a truly green recovery, Europe has proposed planting 3 billion trees by 2030
To contain the loss of biodiversity and fostering a truly green recovery, Europe has just presented its new biodiversity strategy for 2030, with the aim of halting the destruction suffered by nature. How? Planting 3 billion trees within the next decade.
According to the EU authorities, to strengthen Europe's resilience even in the face of health emergencies such as coronavirus, we need to work on two fronts: halting the loss of biodiversity and building a healthy and sustainable food system. Either way it is necessary start from the earth.
On Wednesday, the European Commission adopted a new global strategy under the European Green Deal. The goal is to bring nature back into our lives. In addition, it has developed the “Farm to Fork” strategy aimed at creating a fair, healthy and ecological food system. The two strategies reinforce each other and bring nature, farmers, businesses and consumers together to work together towards a competitive and sustainable future.
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Planting 3 billion trees in EU countries: the biodiversity strategy
Among the key proposals is the planting of three billion trees, a considerable amount that will have to be reached with the cooperation of the 27 Member States.
According to the European Commission, the protection and restoration of well-functioning ecosystems in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is
"The key to strengthening our resilience and preventing the onset and spread of future diseases".
In addition to trees, the strategy includes the reduction of pesticides by 50%, and consequently the loss of pollinating insects, bees, the use of organic farming to reach 25% of the total agricultural area and the increase in the protection of marine areas. All this in a scenario of using renewable energy and reducing air pollution. Some of these goals will be proposed as early as 2021.
“The EU recognizes that nature has not been fully protected, despite having laws, strategies (including biodiversity by 2020) and action plans. Only small-scale projects have been undertaken, which are completely insufficient. In 10 years, Europe intends to reverse this situation and restore significant areas of degraded and carbon-rich ecosystems ”.
The strategy dedicated a chapter to forest degradation, one of the great challenges for Europe and the world. Their protection is essential, as they offer us oxygen and absorb our carbon dioxide. For this, it is necessary to increase their "quantity, health and resilience to fires, droughts, diseases and other threats that will increase with climate change".
In this sense, the EU will propose one in 2021 forestry strategy which will include a roadmap to quitand at least three billion new trees by 2030. The document also indicates that at least 30% of the land and 30% of marine areas must be protected.
The new biodiversity strategy addresses key factors such as unsustainable use of land and sea, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution and invasive alien species. Adopted in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, the strategy is a central element of the EU's recovery plan, key to preventing and building resilience against future outbreaks and offering immediate trade and investment opportunities to restart the economy of the 'EU.
The strategy proposes, inter alia, to establish binding targets to restore damaged ecosystems and rivers, improve the health of EU protected habitats and species, bring pollinators back to farmland, reduce pollution, green our cities, improve organic farming:
"The strategy includes concrete steps to put European biodiversity on the road to recovery by 2030, including transforming at least 30% of Europe's land and seas into effectively managed protected areas and restoring at least 10% of Europe's agricultural areas ".
Farm to Fork: the strategy for a fair, healthy and ecological diet
The Farm to Fork strategy will enable the transition to a sustainable food system, capable of safeguarding food security on the one hand and guaranteeing access to a healthy diet on the other:
"It will reduce the environmental and climatic footprint of the EU food system and strengthen its resilience, protecting the health of citizens by guaranteeing the livelihoods of economic operators".
Even better is expected among the ambitious measures labeling to better meet consumers' information needs on healthy and sustainable foods.
“As central parts of the European Green Deal, the two strategies will also support economic recovery. In the context of the coronavirus, they aim to strengthen the resilience of our societies to future pandemics and threats such as climate impacts, forest fires, food insecurity or disease outbreaks, including by supporting more sustainable practices for agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and by addressing the protection of wildlife and the illegal trade in wild animals ”reads the official statement.
Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, said:
“The coronavirus crisis has shown how vulnerable we are and how important it is to restore the balance between human activity and nature. Climate change and the loss of biodiversity are a clear and present danger to humanity. At the heart of the Green Deal, biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies aim at a new and better balance between nature, food systems and biodiversity; protect the health and well-being of our citizens and at the same time increase the competitiveness and resilience of the EU. These strategies are a crucial part of the great transition we are undertaking. "
Next steps
The Commission has invited the European Parliament and the Council to endorse these two strategies quickly.
For more information on the European 2030 strategy click here
Sources of reference: Europan Union
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