Europe’s nature under pressure — challenges and solutions

‘EEA Signals 2021 — Europe’s nature’ provides a snapshot of the state of European nature — its habitats and species — and a window to the world of conservation, data collection and strategies to restore biodiversity and ecosystems. The ‘EEA Signals’ is a series of short articles based on previously published EEA data, information, and expert interviews.

This year’s ‘EEA Signals’ focuses the value of nature and why strong ecosystems are important for people’s well-being. An article on the state of nature outlines the challenges Europe’s nature is currently facing while other pieces look at the main causes behind the worrying situation and the most promising ways to allow nature to recover and flourish.

James Vause, lead economist at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), and contributor to the Dasgupta review on the economics of biodiversity, gives an interview about how accounting can help halt biodiversity loss.

Dr Beate Jessel, President of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, offers insights about the links between biodiversity and climate change, and what could be done to boost nature’s resilience in a changing climate.

Petr Voříšek from the Czech Society for Ornithology, and member of the coordination team of the European Breeding Bird Atlas 2, explains how data on bird populations are put together and what particular challenges Europe’s bird populations face today.

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 is Europe’s long-term plan to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. Together with other initiatives, it is a core part of the European Green Deal, which outlines the EU’s long-term ambition of becoming the first climate-neutral continent with a sustainable economy by 2050.

The ‘EEA Signals’ is an annual, easy-to-read publication, that looks at key issues related to the environment and climate. Recent EEA Signals reports have looked at pollution (2020), soil (2019), water (2018), and energy (2017).