Biodiversity Threatened by Budget Cuts: Essential Ecosystems at Risk!

The National Biodiversity Strategy for 2023-2030 has faced significant financial constraints, receiving only 40% of its initially promised budget. This calculation was performed by Christine Lavarde, a senator from the Republicans and Vice-President of the Senate Finance Committee.

Her budgetary control report, dated July 8, is titled “Biodiversity: The Strategy That Never Had the Means for Its Goals.” The report details that while funding commitments were met for 2023 and 2024, the allocated funds dwindled thereafter. In total, an additional 427 million euros were allocated to biodiversity from 2023 to 2026, despite a promise of 1.09 billion euros.

Moreover, the report highlights that harmful subsidies to biodiversity are significantly higher, amounting to at least 10.2 billion euros in 2026. It suggests that these subsidies should be reduced.

The document specifies that “these damaging subsidies include various types, such as agricultural aids leading to the intensification of harmful practices, amounting to 6.7 billion euros; aids that promote soil sealing, totaling 2.9 billion euros; and expenditures that encourage the overexploitation of renewable natural resources, amounting to 730 million euros.”