Story | 01 Oct, 2018

The future of nature conservation: How science can help

New generations of satellites and scientific developments are opening vast opportunities for monitoring and understanding nature and biodiversity. At a time when the future of nature conservation is being discussed – the so-called post 2020 biodiversity policy framework –, it is especially important to ensure that science will play a role in such discussion, and that there will be support for the use of Earth observation and science more broadly.

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Photo: Morgan Jones

Speakers from the European Commission – the Director for Natural Capital from DG Environment Humberto Delgado Rosa, the Head of the Climate Action and Earth Observation Unit from DG Research Andrea Tilche, and Grégoire Dubois from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) – as well as from UN Environment/WCMC – Fiona Danks, Senior Programme Officer for Science – debated the issue at the European Parliament on 27 September, during the joint IUCN and UN Environment event on 'Science for Post 2020 Environmental Targets: Insights from Earth Observation of Protected Areas'. The event was hosted by MEPs Ricardo Serrão Santos and Sirpa Pietikäinen, and also included input from MEP Guillaume Balas.

“Science needs to play a key role in defining our future targets for biodiversity beyond 2020,” said Alberto Arroyo Schnell, Senior Policy Manager from the IUCN European Regional Office. “The future EU research fund - Horizon Europe - should ensure biodiversity knowledge needs are covered adequately,” he added.