Catherine Debruyne

Given the very recent Global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services adopted by the IPBES, we now need to ensure that biodiversity is taken up as a priority throughout the wide range of competences of the Walloon administration. There is a real urgency to engage in transformative changes in production and consumption of energy, food, feed, fiber and water, in sustainable use, and in nature based climate adaptation and mitigation. This will better support the achievement of future societal and environmental objectives.

We need to better communicate on scientific evidence, showing the multiple advantages of working with nature, of protecting and restoring biodiversity for food and water security, economy, health, human well being, carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation, etc. We need to show the urgency of actions if we want to avoid tipping points.

3.  What would be your wish for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Wallonia for post 2020?

Biodiversity would be set as a topical and a transversal priority. A strong and ambitious strategy for biodiversity would be adopted and implemented. It would notably include actions :
1/ to internalise the environmental costs of production, extraction and consumption;
2/ to achieve a transformative change towards agro ecological practices throughout the entire farmland in Wallonia;
3/ to restore soil biodiversity;
4/ to protect and restore biodiversity in urban areas; 
5/ to reconnect the consumer we local producers; 
6/ to better link biodiversity and climate actions; 
7/ to expand our protected areas and have more species protection action plans etc.