UN World Environment Day: Statement by EU Environment Commissioner Dimas

World Environment Day is celebrated every year in more than 100 countries. It is an occasion - not only to celebrate the richness of our planet - but also an opportunity to examine the state of our environment, consider actions and make solid commitments to protect it, as individuals and communities. World Environment Day is a reminder to all of us that the choices we make, do and will make a difference.

World Environment Day today focuses on climate change as the world is facing dramatic and possibly irreversible changes as a result of it. The leaders of the eight leading industrialised powers and the five fastest-growing developing countries are preparing to meet in Germany to make political progress in addressing this grave and urgent global threat.

Climate change is already well under way but it is not too late to stop it from reaching dangerous levels that would threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. This is a battle that can still be won. For that to happen we need mandatory reductions of greenhouse gas emissions with targets and timetables involving the whole of the international community within the framework of the United Nations. The European Union's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 per cent by 2020 - and up to 30 per cent in the context of a global commitment - demonstrates that one can reduce one's emissions without sacrificing economic growth.

Europe is not only leading the fight against climate change, but is also taking concrete action to address the loss of bio-diversity. With every species we lose, we lose a part of ourselves. Charles Darwin called it a wonderful fact "that all animals and all plants throughout all time and space are related to each other." The sad truth today is that one in every six mammal species is threatened with extinction and 27 per cent of all mammals have declining populations. Bio-diversity is the web of life that keeps us alive and sustains us and our economies. World Environment Day should serve us as a reminder that we are sharing one world and that we need to protect it.

Stavros Dimas

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• EU's first reaction on co-chair's Options Paper - United Nations Informal consultative process on the institutional framework for the UN's Environmental activities (4/10/2007)
• Climate Change: Commissioner Dimas welcomes 2005 reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions and calls for further action (14/6/2007)
• World Oceans Day: healthy oceans key to Europe's future, say EU Commissioners Dimas and Borg (8/6/2007)
• "Energy and environment policies for the future" - Speech by EU Commissioner Dimas  (3/5/2007)
• Climate Change: EU Environment Council Conclusions (20/2/2007)
• EU Commission President Barroso and Commissioner Dimas to participate in Paris conference on global environment (1/2/2007)

• Report: EU Action Against Climate Change