Contact us T +32 (0)2 626 07 20 | info@europeangreens.eu

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr

Donate

  • Login to your account
  • User account
  • About Us
    • Organisation
    • People
    • Networks and Working Groups
    • Guidelines
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Get involved
    • Climate Action
    • European Green Recovery Campaign
    • Green Talking Heads
    • European Ideas Lab
    • The Green Screen
    • Local Councillors' Network
    • Trans-Inclusive Feminist Campaign
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
Home
  • About Us
  • Our Positions
  • Get involved
  • Member Parties
  • News
  • Events

Restore and protect nature and climate

Share
Share on FacebookShare on Twittershare on Linked Inshare on Google Plusshare via email

EGP Resolution adopted at the 6th EGP Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2 - 4 December 2022

Restore and protect nature and climate


The ongoing climate crisis and sixth wave of extinction of biodiversity calls for a strong and coordinated action to solve both challenges simultaneously. Therefore, the EGP strongly supports the European Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law that clearly addresses these issues. The specific objective is to restore degraded ecosystems across the EU in order to help the EU's biodiversity to be on its path to recovery by 2030, and restoration by 2050. This includes wetlands, forests, marine, agro-ecosystems, rivers, lakes and alluvial habitats.

The proposal is based on clear and concrete scientific evidence and suggests binding goals for national implementation - goals that are ambitious and call for immediate action. Action that is urgently needed since the current trends are resulting in detrimental and irreversible loss of biodiversity. Nature restoration is also the best short- and long-term solution for reversing ongoing climate change, giving added value to several aspects of our common future.

At the same time, given the natural system’s intricate connectedness and complexity, limiting climate change is very important for nature conservation and restoration. Therefore, measures to curb climate change have to be implemented fast and thoroughly.

Acknowledging that the status of 81% of EU habitats is poor, that one in three bee and butterfly species are in decline, and that these are strong reasons for taking strong action to restore nature.

The EGP demands further and strengthened actions on the following aspects of the Nature Restoration Law:

  • While the Restoration Law as the first real nature legislation in 20 years rightly focuses on restoring carbon-rich ecosystems such as peatlands, wetlands and old-growth forests, it falls short in addressing the role of current forestry management, especially on drained peatlands, and lacks strong governance mechanisms and a robust funding. We therefore call on the European Parliament and Member States to improve the Commission's proposal in these regards and to complete negotiations in a timely manner in order to be able to meet ambitious 2030 targets;
  • The parallel development of the relevant EU policies and funding mechanisms to support and facilitate nature restoration by spending at least 10% of annual spending on biodiversity under the EU Multi-Annual Framework. This must be implemented at EU as well as national and regional levels to give concrete and swift results;
  • Support for legally binding targets for the EU and its Member States to reach at least 30% of protected terrestrial and marine areas (of which one third shall be strictly protected areas) and to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems at Union level by 2030 (and at least 60% by 2040, and at least 90% by 2050);
  • Ensure that the upcoming restoration targets are additional to existing obligations under the relevant EU Directives whilst, at the same time, improve the implementation and enforcement of existing environmental legislation;
  • Guarantee the participation of local populations and civil society stakeholders in planning, management and realisation of protection and restoration actions;
  • Identify and remove subsidies and reform regulations that are obstructing or reversing the actions needed for the restoration of nature;
  • Increase the funding for nature restoration actions, since it is unlikely that the funding proposed will be sufficient. The EU should provide necessary financial support to implement the transition from conventional to regenerative agriculture financed through the existing CAP;
  • Demand that implementation of energy savings projects and projects for sustainable energy production are done in a nature inclusive way, with at least maximum possible mitigation and compensation for negative effects on nature;
  • In addition to the demands on the Nature Restoration Law, the EGP demands that the EU puts forward maximum of efforts in the upcoming COP on Biodiversity in December in Canada, to come to the high level of goals and actions that are really necessary to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss;
  • Considering the environmental impact caused by anthropic activities, especially manufacturing activities, on the quality of aquatic habitats, a renewed European strategy is needed to reduce water exploitation and protect rivers, aquifers and seas from pollution: this is why it is proposed to pursue preventive solutions, such as closed-loop water reuse in industrial sectors and urban contexts, useful for preventing damage to the ecosystems that the proposed Nature Restoration Law aims to protect and reducing risks to food security;
  • The Nature Restoration Law must as a minimum align with the EUs position in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.
Related downloads:
AttachmentSize
PDF icon EN74.21 KB

Recent News

Icon:
Title:

6th European Greens Congress: getting ready for the 2024 European Elections!

Post date:
08 December 2022
Body:

900 Green politicians, ministers, activists and supporters came together in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the biggest gathering of the last 5 years – the 6th European Green Party Congress! In these critical times, Greens in all levels of government sent a strong message: we are a responsible, solid and united political force that can lead us through crises and ensure a more just and sustainable future for all.

Icon:
Co-Chairs Thomas Waitz and Mélanie Vogel
Title:

COP must be a climate leadership compass not a playground for narrow national egoistic interests

Post date:
18 November 2022
Body:

The curtain is closing on COP27, and with it, our chances to keep 1.5 alive have shrunk to an extremely meagre hope. The Greens will fight with all their energy to revive this hope, fight for European climate leadership and transform this hope into reality.

Icon:
Co-Chairs Thomas Waitz and Mélanie Vogel
Title:

Our newly elected Co-Chairs Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz share their vision for the future of the European Greens

Post date:
12 July 2022
Body:

Mélanie Vogel and Thomas Waitz speak on the future of the European Green Party, the current political priorities for the Greens, and how they're getting ready for the 2024 elections.

More News

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Flickr
Tweet Contents:

💚🇫🇮 We are proud of the work of @vihreat to deliver a new progressive self-ID law for trans people. It is a great step forward for trans rights in Finland!

👉 This was one of the Greens’ demands when joining the Finnish government coalition in 2019
https://t.co/M7QjlCvIyz

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
11 hours ago
Tweet Contents:

💚 Thank you to @kimvsparrentak & everyone who worked tirelessly to fight the big gig-economy platforms trying to undermine workers rights

🎉 This newly-adopted proposal is a big step towards better protection of platform workers in Europe! https://t.co/fkyq5EJSwk

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
17 hours ago
Tweet Contents:

🇫🇷 Our co-chair and French Senator @Melanie_Vogel_ fought to enshrine the right to #abortion in the French Constitution ... and won! #IVGDansLaConstitution

👏 The bill has passed, guaranteeing further protection of abortion rights in the country! https://t.co/1eiWWOn0ub

Tweet Author:
europeangreens
Creation Date:
18 hours ago

Sign up to our newsletter

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Fill in the blank.

Take charge of your future. Donate Green.

Chip in today to help us build a Greener Europe!

Donate

  • Organisation
    • About
    • History
    • Councils
    • Congresses
    • Finance Advisory Board
    • Amendments Committee
    • Conciliation Panel
  • People
    • Committee
    • Team
    • Vacancies
    • Traineeships
  • Networks and Working Groups
    • Networks
      • Balkan
      • Mediterranean
      • Gender
      • tilt!
      • Queer
      • Local Councillors
      • Seniors
      • Disability
    • Working Groups
      • Foreign and Security Policy
      • Future of Europe
      • Trade
  • Guidelines
    • Charter
    • Statutes
    • Rulebook
    • Finances
    • Privacy Policy
  • Our Positions
    • Positions
    • Resolutions
    • Policy Papers
    • Manifesto
  • Member Parties
  • News
    • News
    • Press Releases
    • Brand Assets
    • Communications Team
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • The Green Screen
    • Green Talking Heads
    • Trans-Inclusive Feminist Campaign
    • Climate Action for the People and the Planet
    • European Green Recovery Campaign
  • Donate
Home

Rue du Taciturne 34

B-1000 Brussels, Belgium

T +32 (0) 2 626 07 20

info@europeangreens.eu

© European Greens - With the financial support of the European Parliament. Sole liability remains with the author.

cookies