Today rewilding organisations from 15 different European countries are calling for a wilder Europe and the inclusion of rewilding in the European Green Deal and EU Biodiversity Strategy post-2020. This has the potential to significantly mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity decline.
Rewilding combats climate change
Yesterday EU commissioner Frans Timmermans presented the European Green Deal in Brussels. While this document is very ambitious on climate actions, Rewilding Europe believes the deal should place far more emphasis on nature-based solutions and large-scale nature recovery to help tackle both the current climate and biodiversity emergencies.
By providing and enhancing nature-based solutions, rewilding can help to mitigate and overcome a whole range of societal challenges. Working with nature can – in a timely and cost-effective way – protect us from flooding and coastal erosion, minimise the threat of wildfire, secure drinking water supplies, ensure human health and wellbeing, and drive economic growth. Rewilding is also one of the most practical and cost-effective ways of mitigating climate change, and helps to boost climate resilience.
Two sides of the same coin
According to a 2017 report on natural climate solutions, the restoration of carbon-rich natural ecosystems such as wild forests, natural grasslands, seabeds, coastal habitats and particularly peatlands could provide at least 37 percent of the greenhouse gas mitigation required if we want a good chance of keeping warming below 2°C until 2030. Despite this, only a tiny fraction of climate change investments is currently allocated to such solutions.
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Posted On: 12/12/2019