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Biodiversity needs its own Paris Agreement, von der Leyen says

(EurActiv, 28 Jan 2021) The world needs a Paris-style agreement for biodiversity, the President of the European Commission said on Tuesday (26 January).

“When we lose forests, we do not ‘just’ lose green space or natural habitat. We lose a key ally in our fight against climate change,” von der Leyen said in a speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“It is why we will protect at least 30% of land and sea here in Europe. We are ready to broker the same ambition at global level, at the next UN Biodiversity Summit in Kunming”.

“This will have to be like COP21 was for climate. Because we need a Paris-style agreement for biodiversity,” she added.

Under its biodiversity strategy, the EU plans to introduce legally binding targets to protect 30% of land and sea, with 10% of this under strict protection.

In January, fifty countries, including 14 from the EU, signed up to the same level of protection at the One Planet Summit in France.

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EurActiv, 28 Jan 2021: Biodiversity needs its own Paris Agreement, von der Leyen says