The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) has published an opinion calling for the European Union to recognise a legal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
The document, titled "Valuing Nature: Implications for EU Governance," was adopted by the EGE and released through the Ethics Advice Mechanism (EThAM), which provides independent ethical advice and policy recommendations to the European Commission and other EU institutions, the Commission reported on Wednesday.
The opinion sets out recommendations on how EU policy commitments related to nature could be reflected more consistently in decision-making, particularly in the context of biodiversity loss, climate instability and what it describes as systemic risk and ecological limits.
It also says the experts view human societies as part of the ecological systems on which they depend, and argues that ecological sustainability is necessary for Europe’s resilience, prosperity, security and democratic legitimacy, particularly amid geopolitical instability, economic pressure, industrial competition and social strain.
Recommendations for EU policymakers
Among its recommendations, the EGE calls for “multiple ways of valuing nature” to be integrated explicitly and consistently into policymaking, so that ecological, ethical, social, cultural and economic considerations can shape decisions.
It also recommends treating scientifically identified ecological boundaries — and the risks of significant harm — as constraints in evaluation, impact assessments and policy decision-making.
The opinion further calls for strengthening institutional mechanisms so ecological concerns, including effects on non-human nature, are considered in governance and legal decision-making, and for using economic valuation only within clear ethical and ecological conditions.
Other recommendations include strengthening research and responsible innovation on valuing nature and governing human impacts on nature, boosting ecological literacy and civic capacities for protecting nature, and embedding early participation in local, national and EU governance affecting nature.
The EGE, established in 1991, is an independent multi-disciplinary body appointed by the President of the European Commission and is made up of 11 members from fields including sciences, humanities, philosophy, ethics and law.
