Schulze notes at 30 BSPC

30TH BSPC: THIRD SESSIONClimate change and biodiversitySpeaker: Ms Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, NatureConservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany (notes for the video message)Chair,Commissioner,Members of the Baltic Parliamentary Conference,Colleagues,Ladies and gentlemen,Climate change and biodiversity loss threaten the natural foundations of our lives. Bothchallenges are tightly linked, onshore and at sea.That is why I am pleased by your intense focus on the interactions between climatechange and biodiversity. It is also why Germany has made this link a focus of ourHELCOM Presidency.The seas play a key role in combating climate change. They absorb heat and CO .2However, the sea and its wildlife pay a price. Acidification occurs that affects more thanjust mussels and snails. The extra heat makes numerous species move northwards. Itchanges breeding patterns and food chains.[Blue Carbon]Marine ecosystems are heavily affected by climate change. However, at the same time,some of them make a very effective contribution to climate action. Blue carbonecosystems, for example seagrass beds and salt marshes.They store carbon in soilover long periods. My ministry is currently supporting research on the worldwidepotential of blue carbon. And also on the factors that benefit or impair these valuableecosystems.In November, the German Environment Ministry will host a HELCOM workshop on thetopic with policy-makers and scientists. The goals are to:- develop a common understanding of blue carbon,- clarify blue carbon's potential in the Baltic Sea,- and establish the role it can and should play in future in marine policy.However, we should not allow the hope we place in nature-based solutions like bluecarbon to cloud our thinking. Climate change can only be stopped if we sharply reducegreenhouse gas emissions, both globally and here at the Baltic Sea. The latest IPCCreport illustrates how important this is.[Meeresschutzgebiete]Improving marine protected areas is another focus of the German HELCOMPresidency. My goal here is to make the existing network of protected areas larger andmore coherent. I also want to ensure that all of these areas are managed effectively.They should not just be protected on paper. They need targeted measures.This is why I am in favour of no-take zones in the German marine protected areas.These zones are meant to help the recovery of fish stocks. This is a transboundaryendeavour that calls for cooperation among all of the Baltic Sea countries.Ladies and gentlemen,Marine ecosystems are under enormous pressure. The aim of the German HELCOMPresidency is to help reduce this pressure.I am pleased about the progress that we have made so far under our HELCOMPresidency. The next HELCOM ministerial meeting will be held on the 20th of Octoberin Lübeck. My goal for the meeting is to build on this progress and adopt an ambitiousHELCOM Baltic Sea Action Plan. It will not succeed without cross-party politicalsupport from the Baltic Sea area. My thanks to you for your constructive attention tothe work of HELCOM. I am counting on your support in future.Thank you very much.