Biodiversity, land use and forestry

EU Fact Sheets 01-02-2018

The EU has played an important international role in seeking solutions to biodiversity loss, deforestation and climate change. The 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development marked a major step forward for the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of nature thanks to the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2011, the EU committed itself to halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change notes the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity. As part of the European Green Deal, the Commission has proposed a new biodiversity strategy that aims to put Europe’s biodiversity on the path to recovery by 2030, for the benefit of people, the climate and the planet.