Nature is our business, our future, our life
We, the undersigned businesses and business associations are urging all Members of the European Parliament and EU Member States to support the final adoption of the Nature Restoration Law.
There has been an alarming loss of natural habitats. Together with climate change, this puts human livelihoods and the foundations for our economic activities at risk. To bend the curve of biodiversity decline, protecting remaining natural places will not be sufficient – we need to invest in large-scale restoration as well (1).
For that reason, the European Commission has presented a proposal for a regulation on nature restoration, which is currently being decided on in the European Parliament and Council. Large-scale restoration of habitats, their species and the multiple ecosystem services from which we all benefit, will ultimately help tackle the climate crisis, ensure our long-term food and water security, as well as protect and create new employment opportunities. It will help us sustain jobs, the foundations of economic activities and the sectors that rely on healthy ecosystems.
By mitigating climate change and increasing our resilience against its impacts, nature restoration can also be a powerful ally for businesses that are directly affected by biodiversity loss and climate risks through supply chain disruption or reduced access to essential ecosystem services. The European Commission’s impact assessment for its proposed EU Nature Restoration Law found that for every €1 invested in nature restoration, €8 to €38 is gained thanks to climate change mitigation, prevention and reduction of natural disasters, improved water quality, cleaner air, healthier soils and boosting people’s overall wellbeing.
Healthier soils, reliable water retention, abundant fish populations and an array of pollinator species are essential to both food production and human well-being (2).
In our seas, restored areas have seen fish species on the brink of collapse come back in such bountiful numbers that seafood catches increased in nearby waters, creating additional jobs and revenue in EU blue economy sectors (3). For inland waters, restored free-flowing rivers help regulate the temperature of the land and sea, transport nutrients and minerals, and keep nature and people healthy and safe by dissolving pollutants and ensuring sediment transport.
The EU Nature Restoration law is a generation’s opportunity to take concrete and effective action to reverse the biodiversity and climate crises by restoring EU land and sea areas at large scale. We, the undersigned businesses and business associations, are calling for the urgent adoption of an ambitious and legally-binding EU Nature Restoration Law to bring nature back to Europe. The EU Nature Restoration Law will be a key tool to tackle our climate and biodiversity crises and to guarantee the long-term sustainability and viability of our society and economy.
1 - See CBD COP 15 final text of Kumming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (target 2): https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222
2 - COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Accompanying the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on nature restoration {COM(2022) 304 final} - {SwEC(2022) 256 final} - {SWD(2022) 167 final}
3 - EA, 2016, Seafood in Europe, A food system approach for sustainability https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/seafood-in-europe-a-food/file
Background
The EU Nature Restoration Law: Restoring Europe's Biodiversity
The European Commission released a proposal for the EU Nature Restoration Law on 22 June 2022.
If adopted, it will mark the first European-wide law with legally binding targets to restore at least 20% of the EU's land and sea areas by 2030 and repair all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. It would be the first major EU biodiversity law since the Habitats Directive in 1992, and serves as a vital opportunity that provides a framework for the recovery of the EU's habitats.
European nature and biodiversity is in desperate need of the EU Nature Restoration Law, as upwards of 80% of habitats in the EU are doing poorly and only 23% of species monitored under the EU Nature Directives are in good condition. The current rate of biodiversity loss necessitates urgent restoration action – and most of it has to take place prior to 2030 to ensure there is a pivotal effect on the degradation of Europe’s environment. This law and its actions will not only mitigate the escalating impacts of our climate change and biodiversity crises, but also benefit human society and economy by building European resilience.
Now, the EU Nature Restoration Law needs final supportive votes from the Members of the European Parliament and EU Member States. This legislation can become a significant milestone in Europe's efforts to restore its natural habitats and biodiversity, and will have a significant impact on the future of our nature.
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