EU Biodiversity Action Plan Fail

Back in 2000, the Europeans took a stand against the continued loss of biodiversity. They set themselves an ambitious target – halt the decline by 2010. Well, the problem with targets and the associated due dates is that sooner or later – you have to break your promise, because you haven’t really been working on them. That’s the case with the Europeans and their biodiversity promises according to a recent interim report [PDF]. Already, 50% of the species and up to 80% of the habitat types that are of conservation interest have “an unfavourable conservation status.” To blame: agriculture and energy crops. Not only will the Europeans not achieve their goal, but while they preside over the plan to save their biodiversity, things will get worse.

By 2050 we will be faced with an estimated further loss of 11% of the natural areas that still existed in 2000. Almost 40% of the land currently under low-impact forms of agriculture could be converted to intensive agricultural use. An estimated 60% of coral reefs could be lost by 2030 through fishing, pollution, diseases, invasive alien species and coral bleaching due to climate change. This loss of biodiversity and ecosystems is a threat to the functioning of the planet, our economy and human society. The annual welfare loss generated by the loss of ecosystem services by 2050 in a 'business-as–usual' scenario has been estimated at 6% of global GDP. Sigh …