Analytics, Ecology, EU – Baltic States, Modern EU
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Friday, 26.04.2024, 18:48
Attention to nature and environment protection
Present Eurobarometer survey was carried out among EU-28
during December 2018 as an outcome of face-to-face interviews with respondents
from different social and demographic groups in corresponding countries in their
mother tongue.
The latest survey “Attitudes
of European towards Biodiversity” was designed to explore European
citizens' awareness of and views on biodiversity and nature. It follows a
previous survey on the same issues, which was published in October 2015;
present report includes trend comparisons with the 2015 survey. The new 2019
survey is designed to explore: awareness of the term “biodiversity”;
perceptions of the biggest threats to biodiversity; perceptions of the reasons
for stopping the loss of biodiversity; what the EU should do to prevent the
loss of biodiversity; and awareness about the Natura 2000 network, the
perceived importance of nature protection areas, and attitudes to developments
that may damage these areas.
On Communication (2011) concerning major bio-diversity
issues in:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0244&from=EN
Revealing awareness
The latest 2019 Eurobarometer’s survey reveals awareness which is
generally increasing among the member states on the meaning of biodiversity,
its importance, threats and measures to protect it. Citizens' opinions are in
line with the goals of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 that aims to halt
the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem service, and with the objectives of the
EU Birds and Habitats Directives, that form the backbone of the EU's policy to
protect nature. The Eurobarometer
survey comes ahead of the first global assessment of the state of nature and
humanity's place in it, launched by the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) on 6
May 2019. On biodiversity strategy and the 6 targets, in:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/strategy/index_en.htm
The EU Commissioner for environment underlined that the
2019-Biodiversity Eurobarometer survey
clearly demonstrated three things: a) Europeans care deeply about nature and
biodiversity, b) they recognize climate change and biodiversity loss as two
sides of the same problem, and c) they expect the EU to act in order to
safeguard nature. The Commissioner promised that coupled with the solid
scientific evidence coming from IPBES, the Commission will work towards a
strong global deal for nature and people in 2020.
Main findings in the new biodiversity survey
Familiarity with the term “biodiversity” has increased, with
over 70% of Europeans saying they have heard of it.
The biggest perceived threats to biodiversity are air, soil
and water pollution, man-made disasters and climate change. Intensive farming,
intensive forestry and over-fishing – by far the most important drivers of
biodiversity loss – are increasingly but not yet fully recognized as major
threats to biodiversity.
Since the last Eurobarometer on biodiversity in 2015, citizens'
understanding of the importance of biodiversity for humans has increased. The
vast majority of citizens consider we have a responsibility to look after
nature (96%), and that looking after nature is essential for tackling climate
change (95%). There has also been a marked increase in those who totally agree
that biodiversity is indispensable for the production of food, fuel and
medicines (91%), and in those who consider that biodiversity and healthy nature
are important for long-term economic development (92%).
Most Europeans are unwilling to trade damage or destruction
to nature in protected areas for economic development. At least two thirds of
respondents consider that nature protection areas such as Natura 2000 are very
important in protecting endangered animals and plants (71%), preventing the
destruction of valuable nature areas on land and at sea (68%) and safeguarding
nature's role in providing food, clean air and water (67%).
Most citizens see as a legitimate level the EU institutions
to take action on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Respondents say that the
most important actions for the EU to take in order to protect biodiversity are
to restore nature and biodiversity to compensate for damage and to better
inform citizens about the importance of biodiversity.
European biodiversity’s importance
The Eurobarometer results come at a crucial moment, as
biodiversity loss captures global media attention and rises on the
international political agenda. The first global assessment of biodiversity and
ecosystem services, launched by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provides robust scientific
evidence on the state of the world's biodiversity and humanity's options to
avoid an ecological crisis.
By coincident, the new Charter on Biodiversity has been also
adopted this May at the G-7 Meeting of Environment Ministers in Metz, which
will reinforce political commitment to halt biodiversity loss and to secure a
strong global deal for nature and people in 2020 at the next international
biodiversity conference under the UN Biodiversity Convention.
More on the bidiversity’s issue in the following Commission
web-links:
Eurobarometer survey (December
2018-May 2019) in: file:///D:/Downloads/ebs_481_sum_en.pdf
Reference to the
Commission press release (6.05.2019) in:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-19-2360_en.htm?locale=en