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After
more than a year of negotiations and amendments,
the EU Nature Restoration Law was finally passed
by the European Parliament on 12 July. This became
a pivotal moment in the history of European
nature, bringing Europe closer to reaching the
goals set by the Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework.
We spoke with Noor Yafai,
a Member of the EU Commission’s Biodiversity
Platform, an expert in climate, renewable energy
and environmental policy at European and
international levels, and a strategic leader at
our partner The Nature Conservancy. She shared
insights on the prospects of the Nature
Restoration Law, as well as on exciting
developments for its support.
After the European
Parliament's endorsement of the law on July 12th,
what are the subsequent critical
steps?
We see the vote on the EU
Nature Restoration Law as a crucial win for nature
and climate not only for the EU but worldwide.
However, the agreed position does fall short in
measures to improve farming
sustainability, emphasising the need to build
greater, shared understanding across society of
the crucial role biodiversity plays in sustaining
farming and food security.
What
comes next? Negotiations started on the 19th of
July and we hope they will be concluded before the
end of the year. Each Member State will be
responsible for the implementation on the ground,
which will depend on various factors, including
the nature of restoration activities (including
monitoring and reporting)
required.
How do you foresee the
Law integration with the Global Biodiversity
Framework targets, specifically considering the
timeline set out at COP15 in
Montreal?
The Law would serve as an
essential catalyst to meeting the new global
targets by introducing legally binding targets to
restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and seas by
2030. There is much more potential to grow the
cost-effective role of Nature-based Solutions to
help tackle climate change beyond these would-be
legal targets, and we have no time to waste. The
world is watching Europe on this issue right
now! | |
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Given the law’s
inherent flexibility for member states, could you
suggest ways for governments to optimise its
implementation?
This is a great question
because yes, contrary to some of the
disinformation out there, this Law offers lots of
flexibility for Member States to decide how to
implement nature restoration. Sound, science-based
implementation will be key to success. We also
welcome recognition of the need for additional
financing, including options for a Dedicated
Restoration Fund.
What strategies
might effectively address the main barriers to the
law’s successful
application?
There are
lots of opportunities to introduce innovative
financing mechanisms that serve as win-wins for
people and nature. For example, in the UK and
Australia, there are Biodiversity Net Gain schemes
to reward farmers and landowners without having to
dig into the public purse. We were pleased to see
the European Commission offering to undertake a
study on promising financing mechanisms – so there
will be more policy thought-leadership to
come.
What do you perceive to be the
primary opportunities the EU Nature Restoration
Law creates for businesses and financial
institutions? How can these opportunities be
harnessed for both economic and environmental
sustainability?
The official impact
assessment revealed that every Euro invested in
nature restoration will generate an economic
return on investment of between 8 and 38 Euros. We
have been working with both the renewable energy
and farming sectors, who have also been joining
our calls to support the Law. For example,
Eurelectric were actively calling for
its adoption, seeing the win-wins for both
nature and renewables. The Forum for the Future of
Agriculture in Europe, who also support the Law,
clarify that fortunately, Europe has no food
security problem today, but warn about the future
risks posed by biodiversity
loss. | |
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We share the EU's
willingness and values for nature restoration
which pave the way for greater opportunities
for public-private collaboration and nature
investments. Building on this, we at the World
Climate Foundation are ready to support and
expedite the implementation of nature
rehabilitation measures by mobilising our global
community and bringing expertise in accelerating
climate and nature finance across the EU and
beyond.
Our World Biodiversity
Summit 2023 taking place on 21 September in
New York will bring together high-level
policymakers and government officials,
international organisations, academics, finance
sector and industry leaders to establish
solutions-oriented partnerships and convert
biodiversity goals set by the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework into concrete
strategic actions for biodiversity restoration and
protection. Representing The Nature Conservancy
will be Mary Wenzel, Managing Director for
Corporate Engagement, who will moderate Closing
Session on the joint action for climate and
biodiversity.
The summit programme is
tailored around a careful selection of the most
pressing and decisive topics bridging today's
global nature and climate agenda.
The
program will cover, but not be limited
to:
-
A Value of Water
Stewardship
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Opportunities of
Renewable Energy
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Sustainable Agriculture
and Food
Systems | |
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Our roadmap for this year
will conclude at pivotal COP28 in Dubai,
where we will continue our work in bridging
biodiversity and climate and galvanising the role
of Nature-based Solutions as a key to achieving
climate resilience.
If you are interested in
joining our fast-growing World Biodiversity
Network, learn more about the partnership
opportunities. | |
Our
Partner, The Nature Conservancy provides
valuable support for the Nature Restoration Law
through its three major conservation programmes
in Europe – across freshwater, urban greening
and renewable energy goals for 2030. For
example, the Law will introduce a target to
restore 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers
and The Nature Conservancy is leading a
coalition of local conservation groups to
protect 13 of Europe’s last free-flowing rivers.
It also offers opportunities to bring in more
green spaces in cities. The project on
greening the cities across Germany by
embedding Nature-based Solutions into municipal
processes will allow to protect over 300,000
people from climate
impacts.
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Nature Restoration
Law: MEPs Adopt Position for Negotiations with
Council
Following a debate on
Tuesday, the EU Parliament adopted its position
on the EU Nature Restoration Law with 336 votes
in favour. MEPs support the Commission’s
proposal to put restoration measures in place by
2030 covering at least 20% of all land and sea
areas in the EU.
Read
more
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It
Is Time to Mainstream Biodiversity to Reach
Sustainable Development
Goals
At the Ministerial
Segment of the United Nations High-Level
Political Forum on Sustainable
Development (HLPF) that took place on
17-19 July, biodiversity is still not
sufficiently integrated into the implementation
of the SDGs.
Read
more
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Aligning Financial
Flows With The Kunming-Montreal Global
Biodiversity Framework: The High-Level Roadmap
is Available!
With the contribution of
UNDP-BIOFIN, UNEP FI developed a high-level
roadmap providing recommendations on how to
integrate biodiversity within financial
decision-making and stepping-up action to align
financial flows with the GBF.
Read
more
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Embracing
Biodiversity: Paving the Way for
Nature-Inclusive Cities
Cities are at the
forefront of both the causes and impacts of
major environmental challenges. By incorporating
nature-based solutions (NbS) into urban design
and planning, cities can promote ecological
connectivity and support the resilience of local
ecosystems.
Read
more
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Technology
Can Boost Farming in Africa, But It Can Also
Threaten Biodiversity - How to Balance the
Two
Agricultural development
often clashes with biodiversity, which is
declining at an alarming rate. Losing
biodiversity could reduce food security by
undermining ecosystem services like pollination,
nutrient cycling and maintenance of water
supplies.
Read
more | | |
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Berlin’s Urban
Evolution
Learn more about The
Nature Conservancy’s Urban Greening Program in
German cities aiming to identify opportunities
for green infrastructure and other nature-based
solutions that can help mitigate severe effects
of climate change.
Read
more
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Understanding
Biodiversity: Luxury as a Force for
Nature
The report created by
our partner Positive Luxury with the
biodiversity experts at Globalbalance and Baker
McKenzie outlines what businesses need to know
about their impact on nature, science-based
targets, and ways to conserve and restore
biodiversity.
Read
more
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Opinion:
Deep Sea Mining – an Avoidable Environmental
Disaster
An insightful article
from By Emine Isciel, head of climate and
environment at Storebrand Asset Management and
co-chair of the Public Policy Advocacy working
group at Finance for Biodiversity Foundation,
our partner.
Read
more | | |
26
July.
International Day for
the Conservation of the Mangrove
Ecosystem
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Our mission
is to facilitate the economic transition to a
net-zero, nature-positive and healthy planet
through cross-sector dialogue, innovative
partnerships and investments in sustainable
solutions. Our vision is a decade from 2020 to
2030 where climate and sustainability commitments
are transformed via actions into impact that align
with the required outcomes of the Paris Agreement
on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development
Goals.
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