Scientists urge European Parliament to vote for nature restoration law

A law to restore nature across Europe faces a crunch vote in the European Parliament this week, after months of tense debate that has pushed scientists into the political arena. The Nature Restoration Law would set legally binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems throughout the continent. Some agricultural groups and politicians strongly oppose it, claiming the law is impractical and threatens workers’ livelihoods. But many scientists have rallied in support of the law and are urging policymakers to approve it in Wednesday’s vote, where its fate is uncertain. “To me, it’s not so much about industry versus environment, but rather about short-term versus long-term [vision],” says Joachim Claudet, a marine scientist at CNRS, the French national research agency. “Nature doesn’t work on the same timeline as electoral mandates.” Proposed by the European Commission in June 2022, the Nature Restoration Law would require countries to establish recovery measures for 20% of the European Union’s land and sea areas by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. (The Commission says more than 80% of habitats are in “bad or poor” conservation status, and that peatlands, grasslands, and dunes are worst affected.) It also includes targets for specific habitats and species—such as reversing the decline of pollinating insects by 2030 and restoring seagrass beds and other marine habitats. The draft law h...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news