Toespraak Eurocommissaris Dimas over het belang van gezonde biodiversiteit (en)
European Commissioner for the Environment
Keeping ecosystems healthy makes economic sense and is vital to control climate change
Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED
Press conference on the l aunch of the report on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
Brussels, Hotel Sofitel 13 November 2009
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to this discussion on biodiversity and the launch of this important TEEB report for Policy Makers.
When we sit here in surroundings like these, it’s easy to forget how much we depend on the natural world. Nature provides us with clean air, fresh water, food, materials and medicines. It helps regulate our climate and protects us from disaster. We tend to take these free services for granted, but we cannot survive without them.
The threat of their disappearance is very real. The world's biodiversity is shrinking at an alarming rate. Species extinction is estimated to be occurring at between 100 and 1,000 times the normal rate. Almost 60% of the Earth's eco-system services have been degraded in the last 50 years.
There is little doubt left in the minds of scientists that we have entered the sixth Great Extinction and that the losses are due to human factors. Beyond the moral responsibility we have to protect our planet, the simple truth is that our future is inextricably tied to the fate of nature.
The Commission has been at the forefront of efforts to halt biodiversity loss. The establishment of Natura 2000 - the EU's network of protected areas - has prevented the destruction and degradation of vital habitats such as wetlands, which are now provided with a higher level of protection across Europe than ever before.
Now covering 17% of the EU territory, Natura 2000 is the largest network of protected areas in the world and it is still expanding - especially at sea. As a result, the EU is much closer to meeting its biodiversity targets.
However, in spite of these considerable efforts, all the evidence is that the destruction is continuing - in the EU and at global level.
We must learn to value nature if we are to protect it more effectively. Putting a price on the benefits of nature is not easy but thanks to the TEEB study project that we launched with our German colleagues in 2007 - we are learning about the true value of the natural world and the costs of its loss.
Next year - the International year of Biodiversity - will see new global and EU post-2010 targets adopted. The EU will develop a new post-2010 biodiversity policy aimed at achieving these targets. The TEEB study will be essential in providing the economic evidence needed to underpin this policy development.
Last year's Interim TEEB Report put a tentative price tag on the loss of biodiversity. By 2050, the costs of a business as usual scenario on terrestrial biodiversity loss would amount to about 7% of global GDP.
TEEB's Climate Issues paper from September showed that we will not succeed in preventing or adapting to climate change if we do not protect valuable ecosystems. And we will not manage to halt biodiversity loss if we fail to prevent dangerous levels of climate change.
Today's launch of the TEEB for Policy Makers report is a further milestone and provides a sound basis to guide policy changes. It’s a 300-page report, but I would like to single out four key messages we all need to remember.
Firstly, it is not enough just to recognise that biodiversity is the world's 'natural' capital, providing vital goods and services that underpin our economies and societies. We need to go one step further and assess the role and value of this natural capital at regional and national level. Only then will it be possible to fully factor biodiversity into the policymaking cycle and put it on a par with other economic considerations.
Secondly, good policy depends on high-quality information. At all levels - national, regional and global - the measuring and monitoring of ecosystems and their capacity to deliver services needs to be significantly improved to develop a solid baseline on which policies can be built.
At global level, there is an urgent need to establish a knowledge base to underpin biodiversity policy. We have seen the success of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in building strong consensus by validating the scientific evidence on climate change. A similar platform for biodiversity - an Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) - would enhance the credibility of future biodiversity strategies.
We also need to develop new approaches to economic measurement that reflect changes in our natural capital stocks and 'beyond GDP' indicators.
Thirdly, investing in our 'natural' capital makes sound economic sense. As well as supporting a wide range of economic sectors, investing in well-functioning ecosystems can be a very cost-effective response to the climate challenge.
Using the natural storage capacity of terrestrial ecosystems is essential to fighting climate change and is also more cost-effective than many technological solutions. This is why it is crucial that next month's Copenhagen climate conference addresses the issue of tropical deforestation. This is crucial not only for the 80 to 90% of terrestrial biodiversity that live in tropical forests but also because 20% of global carbon emissions are caused by topical deforestation.
Fourthly and lastly, biodiversity is not equally shared across all countries and regions. Biodiversity is important for all of us but it is often the poorest people who depend on it most. Without factoring biodiversity it will not be possible to meet the Millenium Development Goals. Resilient and diverse eco-systems are also essential if we are to guarantee reliable and stable long term food production .
Development strategies that fail to take biodiversity into account are doomed to fail. At the same time, each country's situation is unique and will need policy solutions tailored to its specific needs.
To conclude, there are two immediate concrete policy priorities than need to be addressed. The first is to make sure that Copenhagen delivers both for climate and for biodiversity - through an agreement on tropical forests. The second is to establish an Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystems. I look forward to significant progress on both of these issues.
The EU has started the transition towards a low-carbon economy. We must now ensure that we move towards a new resource-efficient economy, preserving the natural assets on which our long-term prosperity is based. TEEB is a crucial vehicle to help us get there. Thank you.