Many international reports treat climate change as a major risk to humanity with significant implications on our lifestyle. Some stakeholders link climate change to natural disasters. Others do not link the two since it is argued that it is very difficult to prove the direct causality between them.

In Europe, climate change is one of the greatest challenges for the years to come, and delaying decisions is becoming less and less of an option. Its broad visual impact on health, on the quality of life, on our well-being, on the environment and on all economies across the world, from the smallest to the largest, is becoming undeniable. And some effects are even irreversible.

The physical risks climate change poses are among the most pressing concerns, both for the public and for experts, with assessments predicting a rise in global temperature over the next two decades. Extreme weather events, wildfires, floods and droughts are becoming more frequent. Sea levels are rising, and they are putting both humanity and the ecological systems at risk.

With climate change, there is also the high risk of biodiversity loss and possible impacts on human health. A recent report by the International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS) drew attention to catastrophic security implications arising from plausible scenarios of climate change. The risk of anti-microbial resistance has also been discussed, with implications on future pandemics across the world.

No individual, locality or nation is immune from these global impacts. Delaying is not an option, and dealing with Europe’s nature cannot wait forever. Eighty-one per cent of habitats in the EU are in a bad state, and 1,677 European species are threatened with extinction, with human activity, including intensive agriculture, urbanisation and leisure activities, forestry, and pollution from different sources.

That is why on July 12, the European Parliament, with the strong support of the Socialists and Democrats Group (S&D), voted in favour of the EU Nature Restoration Law. We as the S&D pushed back strongly against the boycott of the European People’s Party (EPP) by adopting a law that is so important to the Green Deal, as well as for our commitment to fulfilling the EU’s international obligations outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework.

In stark contrast, the EPP even tried to delay this important legislation and to reopen the discussions with the member state governments who already had a common agreement on this legislation.

To make it worse, the EPP rolled out a fierce campaign, claiming that the law would have a negative impact on various sectors, mainly people and businesses in the agriculture sector.

Ultimately, although they campaigned strongly against it, the rejection attempt was defeated, with 312 MEPs voting to support the rejection, 324 against and 12 abstaining.

I understand that all legislation requires balancing different interests, and no legislation is perfect. I also understand that this legislation will be impacting the lives of millions in Europe and beyond, including the farming, fishing and forestry communities on the front line, including in Malta and Gozo. And this will require bold partnerships between all growers, traders and retailers, all working with European governments, including the Maltese government, to transform Europe’s food and agriculture industries.

Now we have a European law that is aiming to reverse the drastic decline of Europe’s nature

For some industries and communities, the pace of policy change could feel overwhelming. However, stopping at agreeing on the principle without any concrete actions is a missed opportunity. Challenging as it is, this is the reality we must face.

At least, now we have a European law that is aiming to reverse the drastic decline of Europe’s nature, with only 15 per cent of assessed habitats in a good state, and pollinating species like bees and other insects under increasing pressure.

This European legislation means that farmers will be protected against worsening climate change through increased carbon absorption, as well against extreme weather conditions.

At the same time, the soil will stop degrading and will become more productive for food security in the short term and the long-term future.

Nature is a tremendous ally in fighting global warming. Nature also does not have any state boundaries and its impact is everywhere. For this reason, tackling this issue must involve all stakeholders beyond the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council. It will have to involve locals, councils, regions, national governments and parliaments and all European partners across the board.

Listening and talking with different constituents in Malta and Gozo always make me more aware of the need to improve our biodiversity, which is facing strong challenges from intensive urbanisation. Our ecosystems need stronger support to ensure food security, both for the short term and in the long term, which as we know, is already threatened by severe droughts, pollinator decline, poor agricultural soil conditions and chemical waste pollution of our waters.

Defending our open green spaces is fundamental and essential in a small place like Malta, especially with the increasing population and the decreasing space between people living in smaller properties and facing mobility limits due to increasing traffic.

This European Nature Restoration legislation is a unique opportunity to re-emphasise the national importance of the rural areas in our islands because they contribute directly to our quality of life that our constituents living in these small islands are demanding from us as politicians.

The government’s effort on pushing the green agenda is already bringing positive results, and I encourage more investments in rural development, green spaces and better planning for the benefit of us all.

Delaying decisions on nature restoration at the local and European level is not an option anymore. As we all know, decisions require trade-offs, and the smart way to do it is to have as many stakeholders as possible who win throughout the process.

Nature is part of us, and we form part of nature. Natural decay is leading to more climate change to our own detriment. We must all defend it for our own sake, today before tomorrow. Otherwise, nature will come back to bite us all.

Alex Agius Saliba is a Labour MEP.