nature

Nature and climate change
Already, amazing species from corals to capercaillie
are feeling the effects of climate change, including
ocean acidification and loss of habitats and sources
of food. Based on Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) projections for global
temperature rises, one in six species could be
extinct by 2100. We need to limit climate change to
save wildlife.
But nature is also part of the answer. Nature is
crucial in reducing climate change and increasing our
resilience to its effects. Healthy ecosystems lock up
carbon and help us adapt to change through services
such as natural flood defences. Carbon stored in
Natura 2000 sites is equivalent to 35 billion tonnes
of CO 2 . Within Natura 2000 sites, carbon stocks are,
on average, 42% higher per hectare than outside.
That’s why it’s vital that the Nature Directives are
“climate-compatible” and there’s clear evidence that
they are. Protected sites provide natural networks
that help species adapt. Healthy ecosystems in
protected areas, and across the landscape, provide
the kind of mitigation and adaptation needed to face
climate change.
Sometimes, of course, long-term needs for new
infrastructure to decarbonise our economy will come
into conflict with more immediate risks for nature. In
these cases, a balance must be struck.
It’s when the Directives aren’t adhered to that
problems arise. Poor implementation can cause
costs and risks. For example, insufficient monitoring
at sea has affected the renewable energy sector,
with offshore wind developers tied to specific
zones, allocated without a proper assessment of
environmental sensitivities. The Directives don’t
need to be changed to be climate-compatible.
They need to be implemented properly.
Natura 2000: protected, not prohibited
Natura 2000 designation does not mean a set of
rigid prohibitions; it means an obligation to maintain
or restore the quality of a site for the animals and
plants for which they were designated.
For most farmland designated as Natura 2000, the
conservation aims are about maintaining traditional
farm practices that already help these species.
Natura 2000 designation can diversify farmers’
income by tapping into the growing recreation and
tourism market. Sustainable forest management
is also usually compatible with the Natura 2000
objectives, while large-scale clear-felling, plantations
of exotic species, or removal of dead wood are not.
Working together
Working together helps ensure that one country
cannot gain competitive advantage through the
adoption of lower environmental standards, and that
migratory species are not adversely affected by a
single state allowing damaging development.
Common standards in the EU have amplified
our voice around the world. The Directives form
the basis of EU negotiating positions, showing
leadership and helping swing international decisions
in favour of better environmental standards.
To take one illustration, by voting as a bloc in the
International Whaling Commission, with a strong
precautionary position backed by EU legislation,
we have prevented attempts to overturn the global
moratorium on commercial whaling.
Left: humpbacked whale – a species still at risk from hunting for “scientific purposes”.
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