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Could mandated ‘biodiversity gain plans’ have a chilling effect on housebuilding?

The government’s landmark Environment Bill introduces provisions that would require developers to produce biodiversity gain plans, but critics say this could be burdensome and hamper the planning process. James Agyepong-Parsons reports.

The long-anticipated Environment Bill leaves room for improvement

The long-anticipated publication of England’s Environment Bill is a welcome landmark for environmental policy. Keen to enshrine in law the green credentials set out by Theresa May’s premiership, the current government hailed their bill as ‘groundbreaking’ legislation.

Our environmental laws should be judged by one outcome

On Monday, Environment Minister Sussan Ley launched the long-awaited statutory review of Australia's beleaguered national environment law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Ms Ley has set streamlining regulation as the key test of success for the review.

Climate change: New Zealand passes 'zero carbon' law

New Zealand has passed a law that aims to make the country almost carbon neutral by 2050. Farmers, who bring in a large portion of foreign income, will be given some flexibility.

Opinion: Wildlife, forest and fisheries crimes

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), each year countless species is driven closer to extinction, while criminals make billions from the sale of protected wildlife and forest products. These crimes have a devastating impact on biodiversity; they undermine national, r ...

Environment and the law

“The environment is not an abstraction but represents the living space, the quality of life and the very health of human beings, including generations unborn. The existence of the general obligation of States to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction and control respect the environment ...

Leaked: Brussels’ Draft Proposal For A European Green Deal

The incoming European Commission of Ursula von der Leyen is preparing a raft of new climate and environmental laws as part of a European Green Deal due to be unveiled on 11 December. EURACTIV got hold of a first draft, which is still subject to change.

Europe must uphold key EU law protecting freshwater fishes

Europe is no exception to the decline in freshwater biodiversity, due to many threats such as agricultural pollution, or the overwhelming development of hydropower, writes Dr Steven Weiss.

South Africa to introduce new climate change law

84th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

16 - 20 December 2019, Montreal, Canada

Protecting #Pollinators – What Parliament wants

With pollinator populations declining in Europe and other parts of the world, the European Parliament has repeatedly called on the European Commission to propose more measures to better protect bees and other pollinating insects in Europe. The decline threatens our ecosystems and economies.

Swiss to vote on setting climate goals in constitution

Swiss environmental activists collected enough signatures to force a referendum on setting specific goals for combating climate change in the country's constitution, authorities said Thursday.

Pesticide reduction needed to save bees - MEPs

MEPs have called for a further reduction in the use of pesticides to save the EU's bees. Some MEPs said the EU Pollinators Initiative in 2018 fails to address the root causes of pollinator decline.

Biodiversity must be a key plank of the European Green Deal

What is the EU commitment to fight wildlife trafficking and protect biodiversity in its new strategy for a sustainable Europe? After a thorough read-through of the European Green Deal, one would have to conclude that this is still unclear.

Dutch supreme court upholds landmark ruling demanding climate action

The Netherlands’ supreme court has upheld a ruling ordering the country’s government to do much more to cut carbon emissions, after a six-year fight for climate justice.

Chancellor vows to prioritise the environment as Budget date set

Chancellor Sajid Javid has confirmed that the UK's next Budget will be held on 11 March, promising fresh spending across the nation's green economy.

Food security plan after Brexit: biggest shake-up to farming in 40 years

The UK’s food security is to be regularly assessed by parliament to ensure minimal disruption to supplies after the country leaves the EU and while new trade deals are sought.

Manifesto for Nature: Biodiversity on its knees as election looms

Ireland’s natural world is in appalling shape and needs the full backing of the public to push election candidates to bring it back from the brink, a leading nature conservation group has warned.

Natural capital tool launched to help protect the environment

An new online resource has been launched today (22 January) by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) with an aim of helping to ensure “better environmental decision-making by valuing our ‘natural capital’”. The evidence and guidance is intended to help policy makers, bus ...

Italy's Conte Proposes Introducing Provision On Environmental Protection In Constitution

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte proposed on Friday introducing a provision on environmental protection and conservation of biodiversity in the republic's constitution.

Tackling environmental problems requires integrated approach

Last November, the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment took place in Durban, South Africa. It brought together African governments, policymakers, development partners and civil society organisations to deliberate on pressing environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss, clima ...

Norway pledges to go green; becomes the first country to ban deforestation

There is one more reason to visit Norway now if you were searching for one. While the Scandinavian nation has always been nature-rich and a stickler to conservation, it is all set to turn greener. Yes, as per a newly-announced move, Norway is now the first country in the world to ban deforestati ...

Endangered cheetahs can return to Indian forests - court

India's top court has said cheetahs can be reintroduced in the country, 70 years after they were wiped out. Responding to a plea by the government, the Supreme Court said African cheetahs could be introduced to the wild in a "carefully chosen location".

Manifestos show disconnect from environmental reality

Last May, the Oireachtas declared a climate and biodiversity emergency. That was the easy bit. Since then, political inaction has spoken louder than words.

Calls for government to introduce “environmental net gain”

The Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) argues for the introduction of “Environmental Net Gain”, building on the concept of Biodiversity Net Gain currently enshrined in the Environment Bill.

Mauritius: Wetland Bill in Preparation, Announces Agro Minister

Government in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is preparing a Wetland Bill, under the UNDP project: Mainstreaming Biodiversity into the Management of the Coastal Zone in the Republic of Mauritius, announced the Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Se ...

Dr Xavier: 2020 to be landmark year for Malaysian biodiversity

Year 2020 is set to be the landmark year for the country's biodiversity with the establishment of the National Biodiversity Centre and the review of laws relating to the protection of wildlife and forests taking centre stage.

Environment Bill 2020: analysis of the first reading

The Environment Bill has been enhanced and reintroduced to Parliament, following the government's promise to tackle climate change and restore the natural environment. The enhanced Bill will stop the exportation of plastic waste to developing countries, boost the recycling system, restore natura ...

Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st Century

Minerals and metals underpin national economies, provide crucial raw materials for industrial activities, and are inputs to almost every sector of the global economy.

Protecting the environment should be everyone’s concern

The Bangladesh parliament, led by the parliamentary standing committee on environment, recently declared a planetary emergency in Bangladesh. This is ground breaking in that most other parliaments around the world have declared a climate change emergency, but none have also added a biodiversity ...

How using biodiversity indicators can improve conservation effectiveness

How is biodiversity doing? What are the important trends? Are conservation actions effective? The answers to these three questions are vital to the decision-making process regarding conservation efforts, and depend on the use of indicators and other evidence-based measurements of biodiversity.

EU member states call for 2030 climate target

A dozen countries have called for an EU climate target for 2030 to be drawn up “as soon as possible”, if the bloc is to galvanise the rest of the world before vital UN talks in Glasgow later this year.

2020: A critical year for climate and biodiversity

More than 90% of European citizens say protecting the environment is important to them and more than 80% believe it should be protected by legislation.

Climate change: New rules could spell end of 'throwaway culture'

New rules could spell the death of a "throwaway" culture in which products are bought, used briefly, then binned. The regulations will apply to a range of everyday items such as mobile phones, textiles, electronics, batteries, construction and packaging.

Attenborough urges halt to deep sea mining plans

Sir David Attenborough has urged countries to halt plans to mine the deep sea following the publication of a new report from Fauna & Flora International (FFI) that warns the practice could cause significant loss of biodiversity, disruption of the ocean’s life-support systems and its carbon stora ...

Welsh government plans to ban single-use plastics from next year

Plastic straws, cutlery and polystyrene food and drink containers look set to be banned in Wales under proposals from the Welsh government. It said the ban would be part of wider measures to make Wales the world’s top recycling nation.

Virus jolts China to curb animal trade before hosting UN summit

The deadly coronavirus that has infected more than 80,000 people in China could push the government to boost protection for animals and plants before it hosts the United Nations’ biennial conference on global biodiversity in October.

Coronavirus puts on hold unveiling of new EU food policy

The launch of the new EU food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy (F2F), will be delayed at least by another month in light of a rescheduling of the Commission’s work programme due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Scientific advisers strive to be ‘honest brokers’ in times of crisis

How can scientists best inform public policymakers at a time when policy decisions are often complex and the science is uncertain? With the spread of coronavirus now challenging both scientists and policymakers across Europe, this was the timely theme of a recent workshop in the Royal Irish Acad ...

Covid-19 economic rescue plans must be green, say environmentalists

The economic rescue packages to deal with the impact of the coronavirus must also be green, a growing chorus of environmental campaigners have urged, concerned that hasty measures will lock the world into a high-carbon future.

BlackRock to advise EU on environmental rules for banks

BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investors in banks and fossil fuel companies, has been hired by the EU to work on potential new environmental rules for banks.

Future Farming Must Protect Human Health

Agricultural leaders calling for environmental rules to be ditched in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic are not only putting environmental health at risk, but public health too, says Forest & Bird.

Green recovery alliance launched in European Parliament

An informal alliance has been launched in the European Parliament on the back of calls from 12 EU environment ministers who have signed an appeal for a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Intellectual Property Day 2020

26 April 2020, Geneva, Switzerland

Namibia's environmental laws

THE Oxford Dictionary describes the environment as “the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates”. Humankind has been reliant on the environment for its existence for as long as humans have been living on earth. In numerous ways, the future survival of hu ...

85th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol

25 - 29 May 2020, TBA, Canada

75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 75)

15 - 30 September 2020, New York, United States of America

‘Future generations will judge us’: Senator urges action on biodiversity crisis

A Green Party Senator became emotional as she highlighted the biodiversity crisis the world faces as a result of climate change. Senator Róisín Garvey was winding up a Seanad debate on biodiversity in which her party, which is in Government, called for action as soon as possible on programme for ...

5 legal tactics environmentalists are using to fight climate change

Activists are increasingly using litigation as a tool to influence climate action worldwide. Here's a look at some of the main tactics they're wielding to force change on fossil fuel firms and weak government policies.

Finance’s gain must not be biodiversity’s loss

You would expect financial institutions to understand investing in assets that deliver outsize returns. But when it comes to biodiversity and the broader category of natural capital, most investors still behave as if these assets were unlimited, even as they are being depleted or destroyed.