Land

Activists have called for European and global action on wetland restoration as the European Commission prepares to table a long-awaited Nature Restoration Law and international delegates gather in Nairobi to hammer out the small print for a global deal on biodiversity.

Environmental groups have called on the Netherlands to fasten its phase out of wood-fuelled bioenergy to dampen the overseas impact of the country’s use of processed pellets, despite a recent government decision to slash biomass subsidies.

Czechia will represent EU governments at a December summit intended to secure a global agreement on halting biodiversity loss, its top environment officials have said, confirming that China has agreed to hand the COP15 event to Canada after repeated delays.

Member states’ sustainable farming plans risk undermining EU nature protections, with grasslands and soils particularly under threat, according to reports from green groups Birdlife and the European Environmental Bureau.

Health commissioner Stella Kyriakides has urged member states to stick to their commitment to cut the use of pesticides after 18 agriculture ministers endorsed a statement calling for more flexibility in the Commission’s upcoming proposal.