Europe continues to lose biodiversity at an alarming rate, with many species, habitats and ecosystems in Europe threatened by intensive agriculture, urban sprawl, pollution, unsustainable forestry, invasive alien species and climate change. Recent assessments by the European Environment Agency show that most protected species and habitats do not currently have a good conservation status.

These losses are not limited to Europe either. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are a global phenomenon. So, as we observe this loss, and work to slow, stop and eventually reverse it, we are faced with the challenge of understanding and even quantifying nature’s value. This will help not only to make the right personal, business and policy decisions but also to better understand our place as humans within nature. What is the value of nature?

As human beings, nature is priceless to us. After all, it was nature that provided the building blocks of life and the surroundings necessary to allow Homo sapiens to evolve at least 300 000 years ago. Fast-forward to today and we still cannot live without nature. In fact, we might be more dependent than ever on healthy and resilient ecosystems to guarantee long-term wellbeing for a (still) growing number of global citizens.
Unfortunately, centuries of exploitation have taken a massive toll on Europe’s biodiversity. Our nature is in a poor state, with the majority of Europe’s many animal species, such as the saker falcon and the Danube salmon, and habitats from grasslands to dunes across Europe facing an uncertain future unless urgent action is taken to reverse the situation.

This is the dire conclusion of the EEA’s latest State of nature in the EU report, which is the most comprehensive health check ever conducted by the EU.

The good news is that awareness of the importance of nature and biodiversity is growing and steps to remedy the situation are already in motion. The EEA’s State of nature report does show positive developments in conservation efforts.

Both the number and area of sites protected under the EU’s Natura 2000 network have increased over the last 6 years, and the EU met the global targets, with around 18 % of its land area and nearly 10 % of its marine area protected.

However, overall progress has not been enough to achieve the aims of the old EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. Most protected habitats and species have either a poor or a bad conservation status and many of them continue to decline. Of the three main groups studied, habitats and birds lag particularly far behind, while the group of non-bird species nearly met its target.
Pollinators in decline, marine environment threatened...

Insects, and especially bees, are also in decline, according to EEA and other research. What is certain is that about 9 % of bees are threatened with extinction within the EU, according to the European Red List. However, for most bee species, there is not enough scientific information to evaluate their risk of extinction.

The EEA’s State of nature in the EU report identified that pollinators’ most important habitats — grasslands, scrublands, bogs, mires, fens and forests — often have poor conservation status. The main reason for this situation is the abandonment of grassland, farmland expansion and the use of fertilisers.

The situation in Europe’s coastal waters — from the Baltic to the Mediterranean — is just as alarming. Urgent action is needed to bring Europe’s marine ecosystems back to good condition, after years of severe overexploitation and neglect, according to the latest EEA report looking into Europe’s marine environment.

The impact of human activities on land and use of our seas has resulted in changes in the number and distribution of marine species and habitats and changes in the overall physical and chemical make-up of seas. Adding to this, problems caused by climate change are worsening the impacts of the other threats, and are set to change marine ecosystems irreversibly. However, there are signs of recovery in some areas because of ongoing efforts to reduce certain impacts, such as those caused by contaminants, eutrophication and overfishing.
Measures to tackle challenges

Overall, there are now more ambitious plans in place to address the challenges, including the new EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the farm to fork strategy and the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change, which are all core elements of the European Green Deal.

The biodiversity strategy is meant to reverse the decline in biodiversity over the next decade. It aims to strengthen and enlarge the network of protected areas, set up a restoration plan and ensure that ecosystems are healthy, resilient to climate change and rich in biodiversity, and deliver the range of services essential for citizens’ prosperity and well-being.