 Boris Barov
BirdLife presented the Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds to Commissioner Dimas at a reception in the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels
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Dimas calls for more nature conservation in the fight against climate change
15-02-2008
Yesterday, BirdLife International presented “A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds” at a high-level event in the Headquarters of the European Commission, in the presence of the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Stavros Dimas.
The new Atlas predicts that in the course of the 21st century the changing climate will force many bird species to move into new areas. For many of them this will prove difficult, especially as they are suffering from habitat destruction and unsustainable landuse already today. Increased risks of extinctions in Europe will be the consequence, for example for the Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti. The authors of the Atlas call upon decision makers to take decisive action in order to prevent major problems in Europe’s natural environment.
Receiving the Atlas from the hands of one of the authors - Prof. Rhys Green from the University of Cambridge - Commissioner Dimas congratulated BirdLife for this major advancement in the understanding of the expected impacts of climate change. He underlined the need for a higher priority for biodiversity conservation and emphasized that healthy and diverse ecosystems are essential for any climate change strategy: “The EU’s Natura 2000 network will be a central element in mitigating and adapting to climate change. The conservation of biodiversity should be treated like our life insurance for the future.”
BirdLife welcomed the strong statements the Commissioner gave in favour of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, especially related to the implementation of Natura 2000. Misconceptions from the side of some stakeholders have to be overcome: Natura 2000 sites are not fenced-off areas, but form “living landscapes” aiming to reconcile nature protection and economic development.
"Nature conservation is not an option; it is an essential survival strategy for our future" —Clairie Papazoglou, Head of the European Division of BirdLife International
The fact that the EU nature legislation works was shown last year by an analysis published in the journal Science which confirmed that the EU Birds Directive has a significant impact on improving the situation of many of the EU’s most threatened birds.
Commissioner Dimas concluded his speech by stressing that our efforts to reduce greenhouse gases should not come at the expense of biodiversity. Referring to renewable energy sources, he is convinced that we need to be careful about how and where they are developed: “We need to make sure that when promoting biofuels we are not encouraging the destruction of habitats. Being strategic in our planning and getting this balance right will be the key challenge of the coming years.”
Clairie Papazoglou, Head of the European Division of BirdLife International, urged EU and national decision makers to “read the writing on the wall”. “Nature conservation is not an option; it is an essential survival strategy for our future. Implementing the EU nature legislation, reforming our agricultural policy and avoiding terrible mistakes on biofuels are key priorities if we are to endure the gathering climate crisis.”
BirdLife, as well as Commissioner Dimas highlighted the fact that according to a recent opinion poll of the Commission, 88% of Europeans recognise that the loss of biodiversity is a serious problem.