Story | 11 Dec, 2017
Participatory scenario planning
By Ignacio Palomo
How can we manage a large protected area system with reduced public funding resources and new challenges arising from multiple drivers of change? This was the question that EUROPARC Spain, an institution that mobilises multiple stakeholders around protected areas in…
Story | 29 Nov, 2017
EU ideas for agriculture hold some promise for nature but questions remain
Today, the European Commission unveiled its strategy for the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which calls for more environmentally friendly farming in the EU; however key questions remain regarding implementation and budgetary commitments.
Story | 21 Nov, 2017
EU Court orders Poland to stop Białowieża logging or face €100,000 daily fine
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ordered Poland to cease logging in the ancient Białowieża forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, or face a possible fine of at least €100,000 per day. The Polish Ministry of the Environment has argued that the logging is necessary to counter a…
Story | 16 Nov, 2017
MEPs ask European Commission to start planning to protect biodiversity after 2020
IUCN welcomes today’s Resolution from the European Parliament on the EU Action Plan for Nature, People and the Economy and joins the Parliament in asking the Commission to start working without delay on the next EU Biodiversity Strategy, for the period post-2020.
Press release | 09 Nov, 2017
Good initiatives exist but more action needed to tackle marine plastics
Brussels, 8 November 2017 (IUCN) - A new IUCN Europe report shows that a number of policy initiatives are already in place to protect our oceans from plastic pollution – however Europe can still do more to protect our oceans from plastics.
Story | 31 Oct, 2017
A major enhancement of protection in Iceland
After many years of lobbying by Icelandic and international experts from WCPA, the Icelandic Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, Björt Ólafsdóttir has just announced the enhanced protection status of one of the most important ice caps and adjacent wetland areas in the highlands of…
Press release | 27 Oct, 2017
Ancient ferns highly threatened in Europe – IUCN Red List
Brussels, 27 October 2017 (IUCN) – A fifth of European fern and lycopod species, a group of vascular plants that underpins healthy ecosystems, are threatened with extinction and declining, as a result of urbanisation and expanding infrastructure, according to a new report published today by the…
Story | 19 Oct, 2017
IUCN and global energy company Enel to develop biodiversity best practices
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the global power company Enel have signed a one-year agreement aimed at strengthening the company’s biodiversity action plans across a diverse range of energy facilities as well as its global reporting.
Press release | 03 Oct, 2017
Scientists call for more invasive alien species to be tackled at the EU level
Brussels, 3 October 2017 – A new study published today in the Journal of Applied Ecology, and co-authored by several IUCN scientists, identifies priority invasive alien species that require urgent action across the EU and proposes a systematic, proactive approach to select species for risk…
Story | 29 Sep, 2017
Pteridophytes, which include ferns and lycopods, are spore-producing plants usually found in humid environments. They provide shelter and habitat for many small animals and play essential roles in soil erosion prevention, stream bank stabilisation, removal of pollutants from the environment and…