President von der Leyen gave a keynote speech in Munich on Friday, in which she underlined the importance of innovation and the need to give greater value to our ecosystems, highlighting the role they can play in the fight against climate change.
The President was speaking at the Digital Life Design (DLD) Nature Conference, that gathered innovators, scientists, and thought leaders from a variety of sectors.
President von der Leyen pleaded for always remembering who is it that we fight for when combatting climate change and biodiversity loss.
She described the consequences in the lives of our children and grandchildren, and she made the case for hope, pointing to concrete actions that can be taken to avert these threats.
The President highlighted the importance of ingenuity and technological advancement in finding ways out of the climate crisis. She commended the contribution that these innovators are making saying: "We have listened to your incredible stories. How you are rethinking our relationship with nature. Some of you are creating zero-waste neighbourhoods. Some are transforming the way we travel and transport things. Some are using artificial intelligence to listen to animals, and to hear and learn from them about the health of an ecosystem. What you are basically doing is that you are turning the anxiety for the future into anticipation."
Innovation, President von der Leyen argued, can be beneficial for the planet but also for the economy. "For generations, humanity has only rewarded the plundering of our natural environment. And today we see how fundamentally wrong this is. It is wrong from a moral point of view but also from an economic point of view," she said, pointing out also the investments in clean technologies by, amongst others, the United States, China, and the Gulf States.
Towards an economy that encourages people to serve nature
The President praised the growing awareness that intact nature does have an economic value. She spoke of the shift to a vision in which the economy encourages people to serve nature, so that nature can continue serving all of us.
Reporting on the common ground from the Strategic Dialogue on agriculture, President von der Leyen underlined that farmers know better than anyone else what immense effect climate change has on nature and thereby also their livelihoods.
From soil health to pollinators, farmers have a direct interest in the health of our ecosystems. And so too does the local water company for whom the local spring is vital and many other companies.
At the same time, when farmers leave their land fallow to allow flowers to grow and for the soil to improve its water retention, these and other climate friendly acts are not economically recognised.
This needs to change, the President underlined, saying that "it is time to reward those who serve our planet."
For this reason, President von der Leyen suggested creating a "market for restoring our planet."
Modelling it on the very effective EU Emissions Trading System, that has put a price tag on pollution, such a system could reward those that actively try to restore nature.
Both the European Commission and the United Nations are already working to define global standards for these "nature credits", and work is ongoing with Member States to put in place pilot projects in the making at EU level.
With children and children's children in mind, the President reminded the audience: "a circular, competitive economy, that gives back to nature, more than it takes away from it. That must be the goal."
