Nature-based solutions and their socio-economic benefits for Europe’s recovery

This briefing provides an overview of the wide range of socio-economic benefits that nature-based solutions can achieve alongside addressing the intertwined climate change and biodiversity loss crises. The briefing highlights the central role these solutions can play in achieving the EU’s 2030 commitments and describes the obstacles that have so far prevented their wider integration into EU policy. It also identifies recommendations to enhance their uptake.

The paper finds that the EU has an important role to play in promoting nature-based solutions and unlocking their multiple benefits. To enhance the uptake of nature-based solutions, the EU must: 

• Accelerate implementation of key EU legal commitments 
• Adopt ambitious EU legislation for mandatory ecosystem restoration including targets for increasing progress on commitments under existing legislation and creating national nature restoration plans.
• Boost investment for nature-based solutions by using public investment as leverage for private investment, integrating biodiversity commitments in post-COVID-19 responses and EU climate policy, and increasing the prioritisation of the use of European Structural and Investment Funds towards biodiversity objectives.