EGU - European Geosciences Union eV
EGU
The European Geosciences Union is the leading organisation for Earth, planetary and space science research in Europe.
ID: 941426139196-80
Lobbying Activity
Response to Protecting biodiversity: nature restoration targets
21 Aug 2022
The EGU Biodiversity Task Force welcomes the ambitious targets outlined in the Nature Restoration Law that was presented by the European Commission on 22 June 2022. To ensure the Nature Restoration Law is successful, the EGU Biodiversity Task Force is recommending seven key points to be added, amended, or strengthened throughout the document.
Recommendation 1: Prepare for a resilient future
To ensure the impacts of climate change are adequately considered by EU Member States during the creation of their individual Restoration Plans, the EGU Biodiversity Task Force recommends removing Sections 8b and 9b from Articles 4 and 5. Member States should instead use the best available scientific evidence to predict areas of likely unavoidable habitat transformations resulting from climate change and integrate them into their planning.
Recommendation 2: Incorporate remediation into the Nature Restoration Law
Europe has 2.5 million estimated potential contaminated sites that could impact biodiversity restoration efforts. Significant progress on the remediation was listed as one of the key EU Nature Restoration Plan commitments in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, but it is not discussed in the current version. The EGU Biodiversity Task Force recommends including the role of remediation in restoring biodiversity in Article 4.
Recommendation 3: Include soil as a restoration target
Soil biodiversity supports clear air, enhances the entry and storage of water, reduces flooding and erosion, and increases carbon sequestration and resilience to climate change. The EGU Biodiversity Task Force believes it is important for soil biodiversity to be prioritised in the Nature Restoration Law and recommends that it be included in Articles 6 and 9 as an additional target.
Recommendation 4: Strengthen and clarify ecosystem targets
The EGU Biodiversity Task Force recommends increasing the targets within Article 6 beyond a 3% increase in the national area of urban green space by 2040 (and 5% by 2050) and beyond 10% urban tree canopy cover by 2050. These increases are likely to reduce flooding, heat stress, and both air and noise pollution. The Task Force also recommends that the peatland restoration targets either be maintained or strengthened.
Recommendation 5: Enhance the connection between ecosystems and promote multidisciplinary
Due to the inherent interconnectivity of ecosystems, it is vital that Member States implement restoration measures using a systems perspective approach. The EGU Biodiversity Task Force encourages the Nature Restoration Law to go beyond establishing ecosystems of good condition and additionally consider species and forest ecosystems that will generate greater biodiversity, provide more ecosystem services, and be resilient to future threats.
Recommendation 6: Knowledge transfer and documentation
The EGU Biodiversity Task Force welcomes the science-based approach used throughout the Nature Restoration Law but recommends that it also outline mechanisms that will promote knowledge sharing among Member States. The Task Force also believes that Article 11 should encourage Member States to be transparent with the information that they use.
Recommendation 7: Effectively engage with society
Citizens have the potential to play an active role in both restoration and monitoring ecosystems. However, the Task Force recommends that citizen engagement be driven by evidence-informed methods and with the support of experts to mitigate unintended negative outcomes from conservation actions. This includes empowering local people with knowledge.
Further information and continued support
The attached document has more detailed information on each of the recommendations above. The Task Force is also available to answer any questions and to support policymakers in translating scientific research, writing fact sheets, and providing summary documents on relevant, ground-breaking research. For further information, contact policy@egu.eu.
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