Legislation to Promote Biodiversity in Denmark
: 23.11.2023
Legislation to Promote Biodiversity in Denmark
: 23.11.2023
Forside
Legislation to Promote Biodiversity in Denmark
By Dorte Larsen, Communication Specialist, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Denmark is losing biodiversity every single day. The Danish Biodiversity Council recommends that the negative trend be reversed through a new biodiversity law with legally binding targets. The targets must be based on international biodiversity goals that Denmark is obligated to actively work towards.
Niels Madsen, Member of the Danish Biodiversity Council and Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, says:
The need to utilize Danish land for production, infrastructure and other activities means that far too little space is left for quality undisturbed nature. If we want to turn the tide on biodiversity loss, we need to take this very seriously.
The solution is legislation
A new biodiversity law will ensure the long-term direction and necessary continuity of national biodiversity efforts. The Danish Biodiversity Council stresses that the law must focus specifically on biodiversity and not on nature and the environment in a broad sense.
The law's short- and long-term goals should be based on the EU's 'Biodiversity Strategy for 2030' and the UN's 'Global Biodiversity Framework' that Denmark is obligated to work actively towards. The international goals are common goals that individual countries must fairly contribute to.
Additionally, the council recommends that a biodiversity law should also contain two national targets for 2030:
- A target of 30% of Denmark's land and sea area being protected, including one-third strictly protected, and
- A target for recovery and reduction of pressures.
Status of protected areas is discouraging
Denmark must have a far more protected nature. Today, we are very far from the proposed target of 30% of Denmark's land and sea area being protected, including 10% being strictly protected.
No Danish land or sea areas can currently be said to contribute to the target of strictly protected areas according to the Danish Biodiversity Council's analyses. We have very little strictly protected nature today, where only 1.6% of Denmark's land area, including lakes and streams, is protected.
And only 1.9% of Denmark's sea area is protected, so here too we are very far from being able to contribute to the international goals.
The solution for 28.1% of the sea area will primarily consist of protection against physicomechanical disturbance of the seabed and reduction of nutrient pollution in coastal waters.
Can Denmark achieve the targets?
If we are to improve conditions for biodiversity in Denmark, it is not enough for each of us to plant a row of wild seeds in our garden. A completely different popular understanding is needed for what it means to have well-functioning ecosystems. Niels Madsen expresses his optimism as follows:
It is certainly possible to achieve the goals and bend the curve of biodiversity loss. In the Danish Biodiversity Council's report, we make concrete proposals for possible action. In particular, this concerns efficient management, cessation of production and long-term legislative protection.
Kontakt
Niels Madsen
Member of the Danish Biodiversity Council and Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience
E-mail: nm@bio.aau.dk
Tel: 9940 8520, Mobile 2069 1797
Dorte Larsen
Communication Specialist, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
E-mail: dl@adm.aau.dk
Tel: 9940 9965
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is about life here on earth. Overall, it is a concept that embraces the wide diversity of life in all of Earth's habitats. For example, in a habitat such as an old oak forest, many different kinds of species can live side by side. Here one can find insects, mammals, birds, plants, fungi and bacteria that each fulfil their own role in the ecosystem. An ecosystem can also be a meadow, a heath, a lake or a swamp. All these habitats contain a diversity of very different organisms that together make up the biodiversity of the ecosystem. (Source: Danish Environmental Protection Agency website).