Brussels, 22 June - The European Commission released its proposal, the Nature Restoration Law, to revive damaged ecosystems and half the use of chemical pesticide by 2030. These legislative efforts are aligned with the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork Strategies, with a primary focus on bolstering biodiversity and revitalizing ecosystems across the continent.
The Nature Restoration Law calls for the strict imposition of legally binding restoration agreements for all member states of the European Union, making it an undeniably important step forward in the domain of environment conservation. The Commission aims to cover at least a fifth of the total ecosystem by 2030.
The Commission has proposed the first-ever legislation that explicitly targets the restoration of Europe's nature, to repair the four fifths of European habitats that are in poor condition.
The newly enacted legislation is not limited to nature protection. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “Europeans are clear: they want the EU to act for nature and bring it back to their lives. Scientists are clear: there is no time to lose, the window is closing. And clear is also the business case: every euro spent for restoration will bring us at least eight in return. This is what this landmark proposal is about, restoring biodiversity and ecosystems so that we can live and thrive together with nature. It is a law for all people in Europe and for the generations to come, for a healthy planet and a healthy economy. It is a first of its kind globally, and we hope that it can inspire high international commitment for the protection of biodiversity in the upcoming COP15.”
The assembly aims to further conservation coexisting with economic activities, proposing a range of environmental efforts. The law advocates for rewilding, afforestation, urban greening, and pollution reduction.
This proposal prioritizes ecosystems with significant potential for carbon sequestration, disaster mitigation, and resilience enhancement. The climate efforts are supported by strong EU funding, approximately €100 billion, underscoring the commitment to biodiversity conservation and restoration. Europe's ambitions are a pivotal step forward toward nature restoration and a greener planet. This is certainly a victory for humanity, setting a commendable example for the world to follow.
Source: European Commission. "Green Deal: pioneering proposals to restore Europe's nature by 2050 and halve pesticide use by 2030". https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_3746. 22 June 2022. [Accessed: 24 June, 2022].
Edited by Adhitya Balachander.
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