The link between climate policy and measures for biodiversity must be strengthened. A clear vision for the future is necessary. To put a price on services provided by nature is a way of clarifying what is required to preserve biodiversity.

”The EU is now delivering a strong message ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen: we want to mobilise the countries of the world to halt deforestation, work for reforestation and sustainable forestry”, says Swedish Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren.

”In climate negotiations, artificial carbon dioxide storage is often discussed, but nature provides carbon dioxide storage entirely free of charge. We need to secure that vital resource and measures to preserve forests must therefore be an essential part of the climate negotiations”, says Andreas Carlgren.

The Swedish EU Presidency has raised the issue of biodiversity as one of the priorities in the field of environment. Environment ministers and other representatives from the EU Member States gather in Strömstad on 7-9 September for the high-level meeting “Visions for biodiversity beyond 2010 – People, Ecosystem Services and the Climate Crisis”.

One of the purposes of the meeting is to discuss key principles for the continued global work to preserve biodiversity. The high-level meeting has initiated discussions on the EU’s positions ahead of the meeting on biodiversity in Japan next year and the follow-up of the 2010-target on biodiversity.  

At the meeting, the economist Pavak Sukhdev, who leads the work on the study ”The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity” (TEEB), presented hard economic data on the value of the tropical rainforest and the coral reefs threatened by climate change.

”The TEEB report shows that the loss of the capacity of ecosystems to produce services each year brings worse consequences than the current financial crisis. This confirms the picture of how urgent it is to act in order to change our approach to nature’s services. We must use the ecosystems without using up nature’s capital,” states Andreas Carlgren.

The climate has a negative effect on biodiversity, which in turn has a negative effect on the climate, which in turn has a further negative effect on biodiversity and so it continues in a vicious circle. This development has to be halted. Measures aimed at protecting the ecosystems can strengthen nature's ability to resist climate change.

The Presidency’s conclusions from the high level meeting in Strömstad will be published on the Presidency website.