When I moved to Munich in 2011, it had just been completed: the renaturation of the Isar. So I don’t know the river any other way than with gravel banks, natural stone terraces and a lot of greenery around it. But back then people often talked about how tamed the Isar was before and how much nicer everything is now. That’s why I associated the term “renaturation” with this Munich project for a long time.
Now that has changed: “renaturation” has become a buzzword in European politics. This Wednesday, the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted in favor of a nature restoration law. The approval was preceded by a heated argument, and parliament has rarely been so divided (SZ Plus).
But from the beginning: In June 2022, the EU Commission proposed the law. The law stipulates that by 2030, one fifth of the land and sea areas in Europe will be renatured, for example by rewetting moors, preserving old forests or planting seaweed on the sea floor. This is to prevent the collapse of ecosystems. This is imminent in many places: 80 percent of the natural habitats in the EU are in poor condition – which is also bad for the climate. Because only an intact nature helps with climate protection – that’s why the EU renaturation law should also put a special focus on moors and forests as natural CO₂ storage.
However, the European People’s Party (EPP), which also includes the CDU and CSU, has waged an uphill battle against the law. Their main argument: the law endangers agricultural land and thus food security. My colleague Benjamin von Brackel summarized why many ecologists see things differently (SZ Plus).
The EPP managed to get the law passed in the European Parliament’s environment committee. The vote in Parliament was therefore awaited with concern by many. Now it was enough for a narrow approval. My colleague and EU correspondent Jan Diesteldorf thinks that the EPP has chosen the wrong law for its showdown, because: “Nature doesn’t wait for divided MPs.” (SZ Plus)
The law has not yet been finalised. Because as is the case in the complicated EU apparatus, the next thing to negotiate will be between Parliament and the Council. There will likely be some changes. That was already apparent on Wednesday: When voting on various amendments, for example, a passage on the renaturation of moors did not get a majority.
Nevertheless, environmental organizations and climate activists celebrate the decision as a success. Rightly so. Because it is the first major law of this kind for Europe. If things go well, there will be many places in the future where we can rave about how well the restoration has done them. Just like the people of Munich do on their Isar.
(This text is from the weekly Newsletter climate friday you here for free can order.)