State government's financial record critiqued by Nabu as dismal, targeting CDU and Greens
The Nature Conservation Association (Nabu) and the SPD have voiced concerns over the proposed changes to the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) State Development Plan (LEP). On September 2, 2025, Nabu criticized the black-green state government for inadequate measures in species protection and area protection.
The LEP, which provides guidelines for spatial planning that other authorities must follow, does not mention the EU Nature Restoration Ordinance (WVO). This ordinance aims to restore destroyed nature to an ecologically good state. Nabu has urged the state government to implement the WVO.
Heide Naderer, the NRW state chairwoman of Nabu, expressed disappointment, particularly with the Greens, who are traditionally supportive of nature conservation. Naderer noted that the state government's focus on expanding solar cells and wind turbines has not stopped the negative trend for flora and fauna in NRW, with 44 percent of animal, fungus, and plant species now threatened.
One of the threatened species highlighted by Nabu is the river lapwing, a bird found in NRW. The SPD has also expressed criticism towards the planned LEP changes. René Schneider, the environmental spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group in the state parliament, called for less land consumption.
Indirectly, the LEP also affects the land-use planning of municipalities. Research by BUND suggests there are more wildcats in the Siebengebirge than previously assumed, but no further details about this research were provided.
The Minister of Economics, Mona Neubaur (Greens), is associated with the planned LEP change. Nabu continues to urge the state government to implement the WVO and improve measures for species protection and area protection. As of September 2, 2025, there is no available information about which government of North Rhine-Westphalia the Federal Administrative Court decided on the changes to the North Rhine-Westphalian state development plan.
