The production of natural resources in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, stable natural hydrological cycles, fertile soils, a balanced climate and numerous other vital ecosystem services can only be permanently secured through the protection and sustainable use of biological diversity.

Personal life
Gabriel was married to Munise Demirel with whom he has a daughter but the couple divorced. On 15 December 1999 after the resignation of Gerhard Glogowski who had succeeded Gerhard Schröder in office Gabriel became Minister-President of Lower Saxony and served until 4 March 2003. From 2005 to 2009 he was the Federal Minister for the Environment Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the first cabinet of Angela Merkel (CDU).