The Good News of the Week: A Rescue Plan for Nature
Loss of nature poses a great threat to the planet and its inhabitants. The global population of wild species has fallen by 60 percent over the last 40 years, and 1 million species are at risk of extinction. Biodiversity loss, often caused by human activity, is also threating human life. Our wealth and prosperity depends on a functioning ecosystem, and biodiversity loss is harmful for food security, health and business. It is also reinforcing the climate crisis, as ecosystems and soils help absorb carbon and limit the effect of climate change.
Next year, the UN will gather world leaders for the 15th meeting of the Convention on Biodiversity to agree to a global biodiversity framework – a Paris deal for nature. Leading up to this, the EU adopted its 2030 Biodiversity strategy on 20 May, aiming to halt biodiversity loss in Europe by 2030. The strategy has a cost frame of 20 billion Euros per year and includes protection of land and sea, increased organic farming, restoring of rivers and planting of 3 billion trees.
"The coronavirus crisis has shown how vulnerable we all are, and how important it is to restore the balance between human activity and nature, "
Timmermans is calling the new strategy “a crucial part of the great transition we are embarking upon.”
Timmermans is calling the new strategy “a crucial part of the great transition we are embarking upon.
Friday 5 June marks World Environment Day, and this year, the theme of the day is biodiversity. To mark Wold Environment Day, the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo released a peace dove from its windows, bringing the news of the newly adopted EU strategy on biodiversity. The dove was released by Karoline Andaur, Secretary General of WWF Norway:
“The EU is pointing out the right path for the world to follow in order to save our nature”, she said. “This strategy should lay the groundwork when the UN gather next year to negotiate a “Paris deal” for nature, to help us stop loss of nature all over the world.”
Did you know?
The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for its contribution to “the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”.
Every Friday at noon, the Nobel Peace Center will release a peace dove together with “The good news of the week.”The dove is released from a window at the Nobel Peace Center, situated on the City Hall Square. As the dove crosses the square, the John Lennon song Give Peace a Chance will play from the bell towers.
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