The European Union recently passed a contentious bill aimed at restoring damaged natural ecosystems, which is a big step forward despite earlier opposition from some lawmakers.
The European Union recently passed a contentious bill aimed at restoring damaged natural ecosystems, which is a big step forward despite earlier opposition from some lawmakers.
Late on Thursday, negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament reached an agreement on the legislation. The law mandates countries to implement measures to restore nature on 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030.
Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister, Teresa Ribera, stated, “Europe is engaging, committing, not only to preserve and protect, but also to restore nature.” Spain, holding the EU’s rotating presidency, represented member states during the negotiations.
The legislation will now undergo final approval by the European Parliament and EU countries. This step is typically a formality for pre-agreed deals.
By 2030, EU countries are obligated to implement measures covering 30% of habitats in poor condition, including grasslands, rivers, and forests. The objective is to reverse the deterioration of Europe’s natural habitats, with 81% currently classified as in poor health.
Governments will also be required to prevent significant deterioration in healthy habitats and introduce targeted measures to boost grassland butterfly populations, incorporate nature-friendly features like hedges on farmland, and enhance carbon storage in soils.
Initially, proposed targets for restoring peatlands were scaled back following opposition from certain countries. Peatlands, water-logged ecosystems like bogs, play a crucial role in combatting climate change due to their capacity to sequester CO2 emissions.
Addressing concerns over the cost of implementing nature-boosting measures, Brussels agreed to consider additional funding if a thorough analysis determines it is necessary.
This agreement represents a compromise reached after months of political debate. Some governments had voiced concerns that Europe was imposing too many environmental regulations on industries, while center-right EU lawmakers had spearheaded a campaign against the bill, contending it would negatively impact farmers.
Several EU countries and lawmakers have advocated for the law, asserting that robust action is essential to rescue declining species and leverage nature’s capacity to protect people from escalating climate impacts, such as cooling urban areas with green spaces or utilizing wetlands to mitigate floods. Living things and non-living things coexist freely in nature to form natural ecosystems.