The deal was finally sealed on a historic European nature law
An 11th hour change of heart by Austria’s Green party climate minister this week saw the EU pass landmark biodiversity legislation, which requires member states to begin restoring a fifth of the bloc’s land and oceans by the end of the decade.
Leonore Gewessler ended a months-long deadlock by defying the Austrian chancellor – and opposing farming lobbies – to back the Nature Restoration Law, which also aims to mitigate climate change and the effect of natural disasters.
Regions with the most potential to capture and store carbon will be prioritised under the legislation, as well as habitats in poor health and in Natura 2000 sites: an EU-network of protected areas with at-risk species or ecosystems.
Environmental activists welcomed the move, with Greenpeace hailing it a “ray of hope for Europe’s future”.
The #RestoreNature coalition, consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, The European Environment Bureau and the World Wide Fund for Nature EU, said in a statement: “We are jubilant that this law is now reality – this day will go down in history as a turning point for nature and society.”
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