Eleven EU countries, spearheaded by Ireland, advocate for the ratification of pivotal biodiversity restoration laws, aiming for legislative success within the month.
Lisa O'Carroll reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Environment ministers from 11 nations, including Ireland, Germany, and France, have called on peers to support EU nature restoration laws, set to expire.
- The legislation mandates restoring a significant portion of degraded habitats by 2050 and proposes planting 3 billion trees.
- Amidst political tension, the upcoming EU presidency of Hungary could derail the initiative unless ratified soon.
Key quote:
"We must act urgently and decisively to conclude the political process. Failure to do so would be a carte blanche to destroy nature and would fundamentally undermine public faith in the EU’s political leadership at home and internationally."
— Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s Environment Minister
Why this matters:
Biodiversity, the variety of life in all its forms, provides essential services that make the Earth livable. Our natural environments purify our air and water, pollinate crops, control pests, and provide food. When species and habitats are lost, these services are diminished or disappear, posing direct and indirect threats to human health. For instance, the loss of biodiversity can increase the transmission of infectious diseases and reduce the resilience of food systems to pests and climate shocks.
