ISSUE 4 2 JUNE 2006
EDITORIAL Change is in the air... Countdown 2010: the way forward and in the plants, animals and birds Only four years to go to 2010, to meet the UN Convention on Bio- Climate change has a very real impact on the environment and biodiversity and action must be taken to logical Diversity (CBD) goal of sig- mitigate its effects and to help ecosystems to adapt to new conditions, delegates heard on Thursday morning. nifi cantly reducing the rate of bio- diversity loss worldwide, as well The fi rst two speakers, Robert very serious consequences for bio- demonstrate that rising global tem- Hungary for as the EU’s own target of bringing Wilson of the University Rey Juan diversity,” Wilson said. “Climate peratures in recent decades have a better future it to a total halt in Europe. What is Carlos in Spain and Rik Leemans change does not impact ecosystems been accompanied by latitudinal the next step? of Wageningen University in the directly but affects the species living shifts north and altitudinal shifts to Gabor Vida of the Hungarian Acad- Netherlands, examined the scien- in them, which then affects the eco- higher ground by many species. emy of Sciences brought a na- There is clearly some progress. tifi c evidence on links between cli- system at large,” Leemans qualifi ed. tional perspective to the debate. The Natura 2000 network now mate change and shifts in ecosys- In addition, seasons have moved In Hungary, the climate is growing comprises over 20,000 sites across tems and biodiversity. Moving up in the world and now begin on average fi ve days gradually warmer and drier, with Europe where human activities earlier every decade. This raises its the reduced precipitation coming are managed in harmony with na- “Ecosystems and animals are sensi- Wilson drew on evidence from Eur- own set of challenges in that differ- increasingly in the form of storms ture protection. At policy level, the tive to climate change which can have ope and other parts of the globe to ent species adapt at different rates which cause fl ooding but do not interests of biodiversity now have and species that depend on each add signifi cantly to the water table. higher priority in overall EU deci- other for their survival, such as in- sion-making. FRUITFUL ENCOUNTER sects and fl owers, may fi nd them- Vida provided a comprehensive selves out of synch. summary of a major three-year But halfway to the deadline, bio- project in Hungary which studied diversity is still on the decline, with A path through the impacts of climate change on new species added to the ‘at risk’ the policy thickets the environment and recommend- list every year. In today’s Green ed a series of responses. Week closing session, government Leemans said that climate change policy-makers will be among the had to be halted and this was eco- GDP or GNH? speakers putting forward their nomically and technically feasible, views on the way ahead. but may be politically tricky. “We He expressed his view that measures need to increase the adaptability of to mitigate the effects of climate Biodiversity is in the spotlight as ecosystems by boosting their resili- change and to help ecosystems to never before. The impact of cli- ence and reducing fragmentation adapt to new conditions alone were mate change and the increased and pollution.” not enough. “We need a paradigm frequency of natural disasters shift in our approach,” he suggested. have also shown how our activities This theme was taken up by António “As long as population and consump- are making life diffi cult for many D. Abreu of the Biodiversity Work- tion keep on multiplying, technologic- species. In September, the World ing Group of the European Environ- al advances will not be enough to Conservation Union (IUCN)’s next ment and Sustainable Development slow biodiversity loss.” step will be a major conference Advisory Councils. He summed on biodiversity and development up the key recommendations the Vida maintained that instead of an co-operation. Just before speaking at the ‘Global Partnership’ session yesterday afternoon, Working Group had delivered to the economic growth model, we need an Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas (left) visited the Green Week EU and its Member States. These equilibrium model; instead of compe- 2010 is just one milestone, and exhibition area. At the stand of NFU Cymru – a Welsh farmers organisation include the importance of mitiga- tition, we need co-operation. He ended we have to look further than that, – Farm Policy Advisor Dafydd Jarrett explained his approach to promoting tion and adaptation measures and by quoting the King of Bhutan on towards changing our lifestyles economically, socially and environmentally sustainable rural communities. the need to integrate them into a concentrating on gross national hap- and adopting sustainable habits. holistic policy framework. piness, not gross national product. There are many contributions we can make as individuals. Re- cycling waste will reduce dam- age to water, air and soil from Getting to the grass roots of biodiversity incineration and landfi ll. Limiting our use of energy will help to cut The ‘Global partnership’ session focused on the greenhouse gas emissions and question of governance. All the speakers agreed the impact of climate change on biodiversity. Our daily decisions that biodiversity had to be brought out of the can make a difference. environmentalist closet and taught to speak the language of ordinary people, politicians and economists. We have inherited a world of mar- vellous and astonishing diversity. It Environment Commissioner Stavros we communicate the importance of is in our interests to look after it. Dimas started the meeting off with an biodiversity to the citizen?” impassioned appeal for an inte grated global approach to biodiversity, with One issue that needed urgent re- Europe living up to the leading role dress was language, according to that its environmental footprint, Tom Burke, an environmental and Communicating biodiversity to ordinary people. wealth and know-how require. political advisor. “We talk about biodiversity in our own special lan- that the crucial issue was “the economic models. This is a major CONTENTS “Business as usual is simply not an guage, a kind of green speak.” economy, stupid!”. Two of Thurs- problem with classical economics.” option,” he warned, “because our pro- day’s speakers suggested another sperity and quality of life are under- Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive sec- more important eco – the ecosys- Commissioner Dimas also addressed A communication lifeline 2 pinned by healthy ecosystems. retary of the Convention on Bio- tem – was at stake. this issue in his opening remarks, logical Diversity, said that people noting that global trade needed to be “Europe’s fi rst priority is to get its own had to be made aware of the dire Warren Evans, Environment Direct- made more sensitive to biodiversity. Reconciling nature house in order,” he stressed. “But the consequences of the current over- or at the World Bank, observed He expressed his intention to host a and development 2 political and economic case for bio- consumption patterns, and the very that, after years of effort, devel- global conference on ‘green account- diversity is not well known beyond the real effects these will have on their opment economists were still not ing’ in the near future. Prioritising ecological environmental community.” quality of life. convinced of the value of biodiver- sustainability 3 sity in the economic equation. Translating ‘green speak’ It’s the ecology, stupid! MEP Anders Wijkman expanded Biodiversity on Following up on Commissioner In his fi rst US presidential cam- this to include all economic ortho- the political agenda 4 Dimas’ point, Soledad Blanco of the paign, Bill Clinton swept into power doxy. “We have failed to factor in the Environment DG asked: “How do by reminding his campaign team real value of the ecosystem into our
1 outstanding contribution to sustain- consortium which developed and con- able development. This category structed the plant in the fi rst public- Environmental heroes produced joint winners: Windsave private-partnership in Russia. Ltd of the United Kingdom and DTS At a glittering event on Thursday evening, environmental achievers from business, OABE SL from Spain. Clever commuting, local authorities and schools were honoured. During an entertaining Oscar-style clever kids The Windsave Plug’n’Save wind ceremony, the prizes for the European Business Awards for the Environment, turbine is the fi rst low-cost product Before the Business Awards, the European Mobility Week and the Green Week School Competition were all given out. which can deliver Plug’n’SaveTM fourth annual award acknowledg- renewable electricity directly into ing local authorities’ activities dur- Welcoming guests to the special the ring main of homes and offi ces; ing European Mobility Week was occasion at the Théâtre Saint- while DTS OABE has developed an announced. The theme in the last Michel in Brussels, co-hosts Nich- environmentally friendly insecticide. European Mobility Week organised olas Hanley of DG Environment and in September 2005 was ‘Clever media star Martine Prenen said: To reward it for the development Commuting’. “Tonight we are rewarding Europe’s and application of a new sustainable leaders in green business innov- production technology, the Process All participating local authorities ation, sustainable urban transport, award was presented to Volkswagen were eligible to apply for the award as well as our most environmen- AG of Germany. In co-operation with and 64 applications were received tally creative school students.” SiCon GmbH, Volkswagen developed from 21 countries. This year’s win- a mechanical process for separating ner was Copenhagen in Denmark. Between the award presentations, shredder residues, which can then the audience was treated to an en- be used as primary raw materials in Kicking off the evening’s awards tertaining rendition of a modern fable industrial processes. were the prizes for the Green Week on biodiversity told via the medium of School Competition 2006, which cleverly adapted ABBA songs. The fi nal category of the Environ- encouraged young people from ment Awards, for International across Europe to express them- Innovative, competitive, Co-operation, was also awarded selves artistically on the theme of sustainable jointly, to iD-L inspired innovations biodiversity. There were two age- Pick of the prizewinners: rewarded for their outstanding achievements. from the Netherlands and YIT Rak- related categories: one for 5- to Entries were submitted to the 2006 ennus Oy of Finland. 10-year-olds who were invited to European Business Awards for The winner of the Management “Life cycle thinking”. Sotral only submit drawings or paintings, and the Environment by139 companies Award category was Sotral S.p.A. employs 18 workers, but has in- iD-L developed Ragbag® – a new a team prize for students aged from 23 European countries. The from Italy. The company, which troduced a truly environmental brand for fashionable products made between 11-16, who were asked to awards were divided into four cat- specialises in logistic and en- approach to its work. from recycled plastic bags by de- produce a digital video. egories: Management, New Prod- vironmental services for public prived people – the rag-pickers – in ucts or Services, New Processes catering, has adopted a man- The second category rewards new the slums of Delhi in collaboration Seven year old Anastasija Caplinska and International Co-operation. agement model distinguished by products or services that make an with Conserve, a Delhi-based NGO. of the Children’s Interest Centre of The Russian city of St Petersburg Rezekne in Latvia was the winner of is the largest single point-source the individual artwork prize beating polluter on the Baltic Sea, and St over 7 000 entrants. In the video cat- Petersburg’s South-West Waste- egory, the winning entry came from Agri-environmental measures water Treatment Plant treats the the 8th High School of Thessaloniki wastewater from 700 000 people. in Greece, and was selected from render biodiversity benefi ts YIT Rakennus Oy was part of the 230 other mini-productions. Coming from a farming background herself, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has intimate knowledge in the fi eld and knows a thing or PROFIT FROM BIODIVERSITY? two about biodiversity as well, as the Daily reveals.
sity degradation, while encourag- in less-favoured areas, mainly to
Photo: European Commission European Photo: ing farmers to continue to play a encourage them to continue farm- Profi ts and biodiversity may no longer be mutually exclusive. But positive role in maintaining the ing and, therefore, preserve our have companies’ efforts to protect biodiversity generated signifi cant countryside and environment. traditional agricultural landscapes. results, and can they make a real difference? Thursday’s ‘bottom line’ Measures under the market and But they also have positive spin-off session focused on how biodiversity strategies can benefi t business. income policy – including the de- for biodiversity, not least by pre- coupled farm payment, modulation venting farms from being aban- “Biodiversity issues have to be mainstreamed into business manage- and mandatory cross-compliance doned, with its potentially nega- ment; they have to be at the heart of business,” said Steven De Bie of introduced by the 2003 CAP reform tive environmental consequences. Shell International. The group’s biodiversity strategy was drawn up – should help further mitigate the There are also indirect benefi ts for after consultation with many NGOs, but fundamentally, “biodiversity damaging trends of intensifi cation biodiversity from the application of is a business issue, so business has to address it”. and abandonment of high-nature Good Farming Practice as an eligi- value farmland, while providing in- bility condition for certain aids, and Both Païvi Salpakivi-Salomaa of UPM Kymene and Olof Johansson Mariann Fischer Boel creased biodiversity benefi ts. The from measures to train farmers in of Sveaskog, emphasised their fi rms’ commitment to biodiversity in shift to direct income payments the use environmentally friendly forest management. For example, both have developed conservation that are no longer linked (coupled) practices and methods. areas in their own forests, where many species are able to fl ourish. How do you react to the critics who to the production of specifi c crops And Elizabeth Jaskulke of Suez outlined initiatives her company has blame intensive farming practices or animals, but instead are based With the Council’s proposed cuts taken to promote biodiversity on individual sites. for a lot of the EU’s biodiversity loss? on historical reference levels, will to the 2007-2013 EU budget, can remove production incentives. We you envisage co-fi nancing for bio- Partnerships and potential The links between the richness of expect positive effects on the envir- diversity and Natura 2000 under the natural environment and farm- onment from this. the Fund for Rural development? Lafarge, with 900 quarries in 76 countries around the world, has a ing practices are complex. While major impact on the environment, but the fi rm has worked with the many valuable habitats in Europe Which EU measures encourage The recently adopted Strategic WWF to develop a biodiversity management tool kit, to improve en- are maintained by extensive farm- farmers to be better custodians of Guidelines for Rural Development hancement of biodiversity, working in local partnerships. According ing, and vast wild species rely on the countryside? How might they are particularly supportive of bio- to the company’s Michel Picard, “Lafarge aims to give back more this for survival, it is true that agri- benefi t biodiversity? diversity related measures. Agri-envir- than it takes out wherever it quarries”. cultural practices can also have onmental measures and payments an adverse impact on biodiversity. A series of actions, such as agri- for areas with natural handicaps A benchmarking exercise for investors to assess how well fi rms Fragmentation of habitats and loss environmental measures, encour- provide opportunities for both dir- address biodiversity risks was presented by Barney Dickson of of wildlife can be the result of in- age farmers to be stewards of the ect and indirect biodiversity bene- Flora&Fauna International. Whilst the exercise can make recom- appropriate agricultural practices countryside. They are part of our fi ts. It should be noted that these mendations to companies, and highlight best practice, he acknow- and land use. In recent decades, in- rural development policy, which meas ures are, and will continue to ledged it has limitations, not least the costs to be borne. tensifi cation and specialisation, but can support, for instance, extensive be during the 2007-2013 program- also marginalisation and under- farming methods or the sustainable ming period, the only obligatory Jean-Marie Frentz of the European Bank for Reconstruction and utilisation of land, have resulted management of natural resources, measure under the rural develop- Development introduced the Bank’s Biodiversity Financing Facility. in biodiversity loss. The Common including linear landscape features ment policy. In addition, Member Working through local banks in Poland, a pilot initiative identifi ed Agricultural Policy (CAP) has been benefi ting biodiversity (i.e. hedges States must allocate at least 25% thousands of potential small and micro-enterprises which could use progressively adapted over recent and wildlife corridors). They can of the total rural development pro- loans and grants to boost biodiversity. years to better integrate biodiver- also be used to support organic gramme funding to the so-called sity requirements. farming, or the conservation of Axis 2 measures, which include A systemic solution is essential, concluded Raymond Van Ermen of local or threatened livestock breeds agri-environmental payments, sup- European Partners for the Environment: “We can set guidelines, but The CAP is increasingly aimed at and plant varieties. Other meas- port for areas with handicaps and we need integrated solutions, with the funding and the capacity to heading off the risks of biodiver- ures include payments to farmers Natura 2000 payments. implement them too”.
2 Talking biodiversity, a communication lifeline Billed as one of the most important debates at Green Week, yesterday’s ‘Passing on the message’ session lived up to its hype. And the message to take home is...
Patrick Worms of Aspect Public real issues and concerns. Right social campaigns due to worries Relations complained he had a now, he said, biodiversity falls into they could offend one audience while graveyard shift to deliver a com- a category where people feel they trying to appeal to another. Nich- munication lifeline. “I don’t know have no control over it – losing it olas Hanley, head of Communication the ‘perfect campaign’, but I’ve got is sad, but attention moves on to at the Commission’s Environment some ideas,” he said. Communica- more pressing concerns like pay- DG, picked up on this and asked, tors (public and private) face diffi - ing bills. given cultural differences, whether culties being heard over the white there is any point delivering a gen e- noise bombarding more and more Hard sell ric leafl et all over Europe. media-savvy audiences. To infl uence our behaviour, he Not all EU messages are seen neg- Even if people know what and where continued, communicators have atively, Frassoni replied, as long as Even with a broken foot, Patrick Worms kicked up a storm in yesterday’s biodiversity is, can they really grasp to trigger our fear, desire, reason they show clear added value with ‘Passing the message’ session. the problem and connect their be- or need for control. Biodiversity is punchy images and clear guidance haviour to it? “People don’t seem hard to sell because our desires and rules. Worms considered so- UK’s BBC network. He explained why reached up to 50% of the UK popu- to like biodiversity much,” Worms oppose what we should be doing cial networking is the way forward people may or may not be interested lation. With modifi cations, this sort observed. Why else would they buy to halt the loss. “Being green is not to exploit the “latent creativity” out in biodiversity. “The environment of thing can work on Europe-wide, weed-, rat and insect killer? He enough,” he claimed, so we have to there, saving public funds being sector needs to reconnect people he concluded. warned against “carpet-bombing” campaign hard to be memorable, wasted on, for example, expen- with nature,” he said, using emo- people with catchphrases like “web get celebrity endorsement, recruit sive TV campaigns. Virtual media tional, simple language, not always Greenpeace’s Katharine Mill spoke of life”, and compared audiences non- scientists to do the talking and spreads like wildfi re, is culturally educating or trying to persuade. of her organisation’s practical nowadays to cats not prepared to make good behaviour “exclusive and fl uid and could help with any polit- campaigning experience garner- sit back and be dictated to. “You desirable” because biodiversity, like ical heat, he suggested. The UK-wide campaign used differ- ing public support. “What’s the op- can’t force yourself on a cat any other goods or ideas to sell, is more ent approaches depending on the posite of biodiversity?” she asked. more than you can the public.” a mindset than a money matter. Watch and learn! audience group –pestering some If it is biomonotony, we are in for while pandering to others. There is depressing times. We are not there He showed different media con- MEP Monica Frassoni suggested English Nature’s Jim Burt presented a huge latent audience for nature yet, she concluded, but we have to sumption habits and the import- public institutions struggle to his successful ‘Spring Watch’ pro- issues, he reckoned, estimating his act fast and get broad support for ance of connecting campaigns with deliver eye-catching Europe-wide gramme, currently being aired on the programmes and follow-up events biodiversity campaigns.
Muddy fi ngers and joined-up planning STREAM OVERVIEW ‘Fingers in the mud’, the fi nal session in the ‘Space for Nature’ stream, showed just what can be done at regional level to reconcile nature and development. Biodiversity and society The secret, it seems, is all about engagement. With sessions titles like ‘Biodiversity: an unrecognised value’, this stream looks at the relationship between biodiversity and society Rene Wyndham, writer and broad- fauna and as many different types of ities. Major impediments include from different angles: philosophical, bioethical, scientifi c, political, caster and session moderator, users. It faces particular pressure in bureaucracy, confl icting political economic and in terms of everyday lifestyles. began by presenting how import- maintaining this balance because of and economic agendas, and the ant regional action is in halting the the regional political situation and lack of public involvement. How do we evaluate ecosystem services against the cost of restor- decline of biodiversity caused by the need to deal with all of the vari- ing biodiversity? Is there suffi cient data and monitoring systems in the pressure of land development. ous – and powerful – social groups. Profi t, people, planet place to assess progress towards meeting the world’s 2010 bio- The greatest need is for integrated Ms Huytebroeck emphasised the diversity targets? How can we pass on the biodiversity message to and coordinated spatial planning to need for careful planning and man- The need to involve the public the general public? start at regional and local level, not agement and for the engagement of emerged too as a major factor in the for it to be a ‘top down’ imposition. stakeholders throughout the plan- presentation by Annemarie Moons, This stream addresses biodiversity in the broader context, review- The panel offered their own region- ning process. from the North Brabant Region in ing the societal values attached to different ecosystems. This in- al experiences and solutions. the Netherlands. The region, one of cludes ethical and economic issues, putting a price on biodiversity, Ondrej Volf, of the Czech na- the most densely populated in Eur- better understanding how ‘the system’ functions and interacts with Down among ture conservation NGO, Ametyst, ope, with a strong agro-industrial humankind – and how to put (and keep) it on the political agenda. the fl ora and fauna showed how integrating biodiver- tradition, has had success in com- sity policies into regional land plan- bating biodiversity loss. Their pol- Among the speakers was Evelyne ning can work and act as a ‘brake’ icies actively engage public support Huytebroeck, Brussels Region En- against further biodiversity loss. and attempt to fi nd a balance be- vironment Minister. The Brussels Ametyst engages itself in the plan- tween “profi t, people and planet”. Region balances the needs of a ning process through assessment, densely populated urban region and local and regional management The New Forest National Park in its diverse green areas, with abun- planning, and by co-operating dir- the south of England is yet another dant forests, a multitude of fl ora and ectly with the appropriate author- area where real efforts have been made to communicate and involve local and regional interest groups in regional planning for biodiver- sity. Bryan Boult, Head of Environ- ment Futures and Sustainability, from Hampshire County Council, showed how real stakeholder in- volvement and awareness-rais- ing is built into a ‘bottom-up’ ap- proach to environmental planning and conservation.
TODAY’S STATISTIC – GOT A NITROGEN FIXATION? Humans are contributing more nitrogen to ecosystems than all other natural processes combined. The main driver for this is agriculture. This contributes to so-called ‘nutrient- loading’ of soils, rivers and the sea,leading to problems such as the creation of ‘dead zones’ in marine systems, as observed in the Gulf of Mexico.
Evelyne Huytebroeck underlined the importance of involving stakeholders when More info: www.unep.org balancing urban needs and biodiversity.
3 KH-A-06-004-EN-C Who needs biodiversity?
Is biodiversity a fashionable luxury for developed countries or is it a real necessity for Crucial issues interlinked life and livelihoods in developing countries? Speakers and panellists at the ‘Biodiversity and development co-operation’ session on Thursday expressed their views. The discussion returned repeatedly to the issues of land rights, confl ict, and fi nance. “Inequality of owner- “Biodiversity is not a luxury but a researchers coming out of their ship over land and the squeezing working tool. Indeed, it is our most laboratories to work with real of the poor into marginal areas important tool,” said Guy Kastler people on the ground.” remain persistent problems,” ob- of France’s Réseau Semences served Ejigu, “that lead to con- Paysannes. “But the biodiversity For Warren Evans, Director of the fl ict and to further environmental programmes and initiatives pro- World Bank’s Environment Depart- degradation.” posed by developing countries ment, there are genuine environ- are often not well adapted to local mental issues at play. “Invasive “We react with emergency mea- needs. In Africa and South Amer- alien species are just one of them,” sures when it is already too late,” ica, small local farmers depend on he said. “Climate change is an other. said Athanassios Theodorakis of a variety of traditional crops for But the larger question of local the European Commission’s De- their daily survival; they depend fi nancial sustainability is equally velopment Directorate-General. on and therefore support bio- important.” Making sure that local “The question should be how to Conservation and development must work together, Mersie Ejigu insisted. diversity.” Attempts to help them populations share the benefi ts of avoid disasters. Our challenges with so-called improved crops biodiversity is a key factor to en- include unresolved scientifi c de- and large-scale monoculture, he sure an interest in its conservation, Life is livelihoods plained Mersie Ejigu of the Part- bates such as, for example, on argued, are the real threat to bio- he explained. “Our track record is nership for African Environmental genetically modifi ed organisms. diversity. “It is not about backward not good. Mainstreaming biodiver- In many developing countries, live- Sustainability. “This is a natural We also need to keep public farmers who don’t want to move sity means making it pay and mak- lihoods are intimately linked to response. There is a huge socio- opinion on our side.]” forward, it’s about scientists and ing sure everyone gets paid.” land use. Conservation measures cultural and sentimental attach- therefore directly impact on local ment to the ‘homeland’ that is “The question of fi nancing is key,” and indigenous populations. But not really about the land itself but said Evans. “How do we interest our these populations are rarely given about the plants and animals, the fi nance ministers? We have to be able a say in the planning or implemen- biodiversity, on that land.” Trad- to quantify the real monetary value tation of those very measures. itional communities lived in har- of biodiversity, which we all know is CAN TOURISM PROMOTE mony with nature for thousands enormous, and we have to commu- “Changes imposed from the out- of years, he said. Now, conser- nicate it to them in a convincing way. BIODIVERSITY? side often meet resentment, vation and development must go Unless we are able to do this, we will even when they make sense,” ex- hand in hand. not make real progress.”
Protecting nature to promote biodiversity often implies limiting economic opportunities. But carefully managed tourism and other activities From the doable to the desirable can sustain both nature and local communities. Thursday’s session ‘Biodiversity on the political decision table’ asked whether “Did you see it?” The ex- political systems in Europe could counter the loss of biodiversity. The verdict? cited cry of a young tour- The Biodiversity Communication goes as far as possible in the current policy ist at the Odra Delta park framework, but greater priority to ecological sustainability will be required in future. in Poland typifi es the enthusiasm for nature M. P. Carl, DG Environment’s Dir- that ecotourism can in- ector-General, asked his speak- spire. Kazimierz Rabski ers “Is EU biodiversity policy suf- of the Society for the Pol- fi ciently ambitious, and can our ish Coast sees attracting political systems cope with halting tourists as a ‘bottom-up’ biodiversity loss?” approach to implement- Photo: IUCN Red List (www.iucnredlist.org), (www.iucnredlist.org), IUCN Red List Photo: Charlie Moores
ing Natura 2000. Tim O’Riordan, of the University Commission European Photo: While this pink pigeon native to Mauritius has of East Anglia, said “No”. He cited The main attraction in entered the 2006 IUCN Red List, the number threats such as climate change, the Odra Delta is the bird of bird species in the Polish Odra Delta park weakness in local planning, and has actually been growing in recent years. life – 163 species are cur- institutional failure to address rently on record and the number is rising year by year. There is good sustainability, and said the public news for the local human populations as well: tourism is providing wanted an ecological contract with jobs in an area of social deprivation. the EU. He suggested new institu- tional provisions to ensure sustain- Niche service ability in the Commission and Euro- pean Parliament, new ‘ sustainability The need to differentiate between ‘niche ecotourism’ and initiatives appraisals’, EU policy on spatial to make mainstream tourism more sustainable was stressed by planning, working with business, Richard Denman of The Tourism Company. He highlighted the use of and educating the next generation to Secretary-General Catherine Day a voluntary levy on tourist services in the English Lake District feed- “live and breathe sustainability”. very much part of the new EU polit- stressed that the Commission’s ing directly into conservation work. ical project. She stated that sustain- Biodiversity Communication was as ambitious Karl-Heinz Florenz, an MEP and able development is the overarch- as possible. Herbert Hamele of Ecotrans described developments in the Eifel farmer, asked for greater co- ing principle and the Commission region of Germany which is supporting the promotion of high-qual- operation between stakeholders and is committed to more integrated ity regional products as well as tourism services via branding. The increased efforts to involve industry. policy-making. Ms Day stressed Editorial information scheme will eventually be self-supporting but has already boosted He stressed the need to communi- the need to take account of nat ural Green Week Daily is published revenue for many regional enterprises. cate in terms which resonate at local capital and ecosystem services. by the Communication Unit and regional levels. “Biodiversity is This required better knowledge, of the Environment DG. A similar initiative in the Czech Republic is using branding as a tool to the basis for our society”, he said. and she highlighted the proposed promote a wide variety of regional products from three Natura 2000 new advisory mechanism. The Bio- Notice areas. Tomas Kazmierski of the Czech Regional Environmental Centre Werner Wutscher, Secretary-Gen- diversity Communication was as Neither the European Commission commented that the US national park service had been very interested eral, Austrian Ministry of Agricul- ambitious as possible in the cur- nor any person acting on its behalf in the concept which is funded by a 0.3% levy on locally certifi ed goods. ture, Forestry and the Environment, rent policy framework, she said, may be held responsible for the use to which information contained in this said he expected biodiversity to be but not suffi cient to meet the publication may be put, or for any World leader an important element of the revised longer-term challenge, although errors which, despite careful prepar- EU Sustainable Development Strat- she was optimistic for progress on ation and checking, may appear. Everardus Hartog of DG REGIO made the point that 30 years ago egy. He argued that much could be this in the medium term. Luxembourg: Offi ce for Offi cial there was little common ground between environmental and eco- done under existing policies and Publications of the European nomic development. “Today, the two are intertwined,” he said, and new Member States in particular Concluding, M P Carl commented: Communities, 2006 proper use of ecotourism was a valid tool for economic development. needed assistance in this. “A strategic offi ce of eco-manage- © European Communities, 2006 He also highlighted the possibility of using EC regional and struc- ment in the Secretariat General Reproduction is authorised provided tural funding to promote such projects. “The EU leads the world in Catherine Day, Secretary-General – why not? You might say this is an the source is acknowledged. these ‘ecological products’,” he claimed. of the European Commission, said answer to Vaclav Havel’s proposal Printed in Belgium environment and biodiversity are for a ‘Ministry of Decency’.”
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