European biodiversity loss ‘as serious’ as climate change, European environment commissioner warns. Most of Europe’s species and habitats are in poor condition and the risk of extinction continues to rise, environment chiefs warned at a major biodiversity conference in Athens recently. But is it too late?
The natural world across Europe is suffering a crisis as serious as the threat of climate change, Europe’s environment chiefs are to warn this week. A report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) sounded the alarm that most species and habitats across the continent are in poor condition and the risk of extinction continues to rise. New figures for the UK also show that even the most important and rare plants and animals are suffering: eight out of 10 habitats and half of species given the highest level of European protection are in an “unfavourable” condition. Species at risk in the UK range from insects like the honeybee and swallowtail butterfly, to mammals and birds at the top of the food chain such as the otter and the golden eagle, said the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH).
At another recent high-level conference in London organised by the CEH, leaders from business, government, academics and NGOs were warned that ecosystems underpin human lifestyles from air, water and food to resources for industry. Professor Lord May of Oxford, a former government chief scientific adviser and president of the Royal Society, said: “Our massive and unintended experiment on the planet’s reaction to unsustainable levels of human impacts is approaching crisis point. The future is not yet beyond rescue, provided we take appropriate action with due urgency.”

Biodiversity climate change, Europe, extinction