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Glossary

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the classification of certain objects in a uniform system. Taxonomy as a branch of biology describes the classification of all living beings in a hierarchical system; the most important ranks are kingdom> phylum> class> order> family> genus. Because each sub-category only has one super-category, this creates a tree structure with numerous branches. Nowadays, evolutionary descent (phylogeny) is used for classification. The knowledge gained in taxonomy is used in medicine, agriculture, nature conservation and pharmacology.

To date, 1.2 million species have been taxonomically recorded. Around 15,000 new species are discovered every year. The number of all animal and plant species in the world is now estimated at 8.7 million. The findings of the taxonomy help in the development of new plant protection products and facilitate targeted action against certain pests without side effects for humans and the environment.


EU Green Taxonomy

In order to meet the EU’s climate and energy targets for 2030 and reach the objectives of the European green deal, it is vital that investments are directed towards sustainable projects and activities. To achieve this, a common language and a clear definition of what is ‘sustainable’ is needed. This is why the action plan on financing sustainable growth called for the creation of a common classification system for sustainable economic activities, or an “EU taxonomy”.

Sources

Terms from the glossary