EU nature restoration law
The UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration started on 5 June 2021, acknowledging that the global sustainable development goals can only be met by 2030 if the global destruction of ecosystems is stopped, their conservation is ensured and their restoration is initiated. To achieve the international targets, an ambitious European contribution is essential.
In the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the European Commission announced that it will propose legally binding EU nature restoration targets to restore biodiversity and degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters. Restoring EU’s ecosystems will help to increase biodiversity, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and prevent and reduce the impacts of natural disasters.
The European Commission is preparing an impact assessment to support the development of EU nature restoration targets, and to assess their potential environmental, social and economic impacts. Public and stakeholder views and insights will contribute to the impact assessment. Due to be published in March, the EU nature restoration law has the potential to be amongst the most important and effective pieces of nature legislation seen in recent years. With the development of this law, the EU has an extraordinary opportunity to reverse environmental decline and, at least partially, to remedy the long-term impact inaction will have on future generations.
The main objective of the EU initiative is to restore degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to:
References : European Commission – Green Efas
