Biodiversity loss is serious, say Europeans
Brussels, 18 January 2008. An overwhelming majority of Europeans believe that the loss of biological diversity is a serious problem, according to a Eurobarometer survey on attitudes to biodiversity. Pollution and man-made disasters are seen as the biggest threats to biodiversity, followed by climate change and the intensification of agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Europeans see a moral obligation to conserve nature, and acknowledge that biodiversity loss will make Europe a poorer place. Most people feel no personal impact at this point, but rather anticipate that they or their children are affected in the future.
Two thirds of Europeans say they already make a personal effort to protect biodiversity, while a third say they would like to do more. A fifth of Europeans surveyed say they would act if they
knew what they could do to stop biodiversity loss.
The survey also reveals that Europeans are unaware of what the EU is doing to save biodiversity: Only one in five has ever heard of Natura 2000.
Communication is not the only area where European Commission and Member States must work harder to reach the 2010 biodiversity target. A spokeswoman for DG Environment told journalists: “It will be very difficult to achieve the target. We are working very hard on it, but member states have to make a greater effort than they have done so far.”
- Flash Eurobarometer 219: Attitudes of Europeans towards the issue of biodiversity
- Stavros Dimas’ Blog: Strong opinions on nature
