Ministers in biodiversity pledge

Biodiversity research will be bolstered, ministers promise, as they warn of ‘existential threat’

EU member state ministers have said they are committed to scaling up research and innovation on nature and biodiversity, as they expressed “deep concern” about “unprecedented” biodiversity loss that “poses a direct and existential threat to human life and wellbeing”.

In conclusions adopted on 19 December, environment ministers said they are “deeply alarmed” by scientific reports that about one million species are at risk of extinction, as well as deforestation, wetland degradation and ocean acidification caused by climate change.