ISSUE 4 2 JUNE 2006 <G::CL::@96>AN 8=6C<>C<DJG7:=6K>DJG 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 cat egory 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.