May 22: International Biodiversity Day

The International Day for Biodiversity will be celebrated on May 22nd. The UN decreed this day with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity for humans.

For this year, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity has chosen the theme: “Building a shared future for all life”.

Biodiversity strategy for 2030

The EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 is a comprehensive, ambitious and long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. The strategy aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030, and contains specific actions and commitments.

It is the proposal for the EU’s contribution to the upcoming international negotiations on the global post-2020 biodiversity framework. A core part of the European Green Deal,  it will also support a green recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Objectives

The biodiversity strategy aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of people, climate and the planet.

In the post-COVID-19 context, the strategy aims to build our societies’ resilience to future threats such as

• the impacts of climate change
• forest fires
• food insecurity
• disease outbreaks – including by protecting wildlife and fighting illegal wildlife trade

Support to the Evaluation of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020, and follow-up. Final evaluation report

Actions

The strategy contains specific commitments and actions to be delivered by 2030.

Establishing a larger EU-wide network of protected areas on land and at sea

The EU will enlarge existing Natura 2000 areas, with strict protection for areas of very high biodiversity and climate value.

Launching an EU nature restoration plan

Through concrete commitments and actions, the EU aims to restore degraded ecosystems by 2030 and manage them sustainably, addressing the key drivers of biodiversity loss.

As part of this plan, the Commission will propose binding nature restoration targets.

Introducing measures to enable the necessary transformative change

The strategy highlights unlocking funding for biodiversity, and setting in motion a new, strengthened governance framework to

• ensure better implementation and track progress
• improve knowledge, financing and investments
• better respecting nature in public and business decision-making

Introducing measures to tackle the global biodiversity challenge

Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed in 1992, at the Earth Summit of the United Nations (UN). It was approved by 196 countries, establishing the implementation of agreements in different sectors.

More information:

European Commission -Biodiversity Strategy

Convention on Biological Diversity