Nature Restoration Law enters into force: RESPIN Project Applauds the Milestone

The RESPIN project is celebrating the entry into force of the Nature Restoration Law (NRL). This marks a significant step towards reversing biodiversity loss and restoring Europe's degraded ecosystems. The NRL, endorsed by the Council, signifies a transformative shift in EU environmental policy. Professor Josef Settele, an agricultural biologist at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and a member of the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), emphasised the importance of this achievement. In an interview about the adoption, he stated, "This is a great success for nature conservation, as we are finally moving towards considering entire landscapes and are coming significantly closer to integrating land use, climate protection, and the preservation of biodiversity." His remarks underscore the comprehensive and integrative approach of the NRL, highlighting its potential to unify efforts across various environmental domains. Insights from both IPBES (IPBES, 2022, p. XVIII, Sec. B5) and IPCC (IPCC, 2019, p. 24, para. B7.4) stress the importance of restoration in supporting biodiversity and the natural sequestration of greenhouse gases by ecosystems. 

The NRL aims to improve ecosystems by enhancing water purification, managing floods, and capturing carbon - all crucial functions that ecosystems provide. This approach complements existing conservation laws in the EU and encourages collaboration among different sectors and communities to create a robust and healthy environment for all Europeans.

Economic and Social Impacts of the NRL

The economic and social benefits of the NRL are substantial:

• Job Creation: The full implementation of the Natura 2000 network is expected to create between 180,000 and 207,000 jobs (Source: PLOS ONE). Restoration activities show employment multipliers ranging from 1.5 to 3.8, highlighting significant job creation potential.
• Economic Benefits: Restoration initiatives offer high benefit-cost ratios, with coastal wetlands generating benefits up to 110 times the investment cost (Source: OECD iLibrary). Globally, restoring 350 million hectares of degraded forests could yield benefits worth USD 7-30 for every dollar invested (Verdone and Seidl, 2017).
• Cost Savings: Natural floodplains provide cost-effective solutions compared to engineered flood defenses, ensuring sustainable long-term benefits.

A New Era for EU Environmental Policy Informed by IPBES and IPCC Reports

The entry into force of the NRL marks a significant change in EU environmental policy. For RESPIN, this is an opportunity to further its mission of improving the relationship between science and policy and drive substantial changes in biodiversity and climate governance. With this law, Europe is taking a major step toward a sustainable future, ensuring the well-being of its citizens and the resilience of its natural environment. Similarly, other countries across the world will need to develop their strategies and legal frameworks to implement Target 2 on restoring 30% of their degraded ecosystems. IPBES and IPCC have provided important insights on these processes, which must be reflected in the specific national and subnational contexts of implementing stakeholders. RESPIN is prepared to support this transformative journey by discussing knowledge needs and potentials to identify ways to balance biodiversity and climate initiatives in Europe and beyond. 

RESPIN will review existing IPBES and IPCC provisions and distill recommendations and insights for addressing climate and biodiversity challenges, such as restoration. Through various transdisciplinary processes at different levels, with governmental and private decision makers as primary knowledge users, RESPIN will identify opportunities for how scientific insights can stimulate innovative solutions for restoration. Throught these processes, RESPIN will develop blueprints for how existing knowledge within the climate and biodiversity communities can provide targeted, actionable guidance for tackling biodiversity and climate challenges, such as restoration.