With the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) approaching, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for an integrated global approach to address the ongoing biodiversity crisis.

As global tensions rise, the EESC is urging governments to focus on biodiversity as a key solution to the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification). COP16 will be a pivotal moment to accelerate the global effort to safeguard our planet's ecosystems, the EESC stressed in its opinion which was adopted in September.

'Without biodiversity, ecosystems and economies will collapse, as over half of global GDP and 40% of jobs depend directly on nature,' said Arnaud Schwartz, rapporteur for the opinion.

The EESC points out that biodiversity, the foundation of ecosystems, human well-being and economies, must be mainstreamed across multiple policy sectors such as climate, agriculture and trade, and not treated in isolation. For instance, trade agreements should promote sustainability by ensuring that goods and technologies do not contribute to deforestation and habitat destruction.

It also urgent to secure financial support for biodiversity preservation. Public funding alone is insufficient, so a blend of public, private and innovative financial mechanisms are needed.

The EESC urges the EU to support countries in the Global South as they protect biodiversity, and advocates for the phasing out of subsidies harmful to biodiversity, particularly those promoting fossil fuels. Redirecting these subsidies towards ecosystem restoration could address both climate change and biodiversity loss through nature-based solutions like reforestation, sustainable agriculture and wetland restoration.

Furthermore, the EESC highlighted the importance of the 'One Health' approach, which links human, animal and environmental health. Healthy ecosystems provide critical services, such as pollination, carbon sequestration and water filtration, all of which contribute to human well-being. The decline in biodiversity undermines ecosystems' resilience, increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases such as COVID-19.

The EESC has also called for young people to be more involved in decision making. It proposed creating the position of European Commission executive vice-president for future generations, ensuring that long-term sustainability and well-being are prioritised over short-term gains. (ks)