28/11/2024
Unlocking Europe’s industrial transformation: a pathway to a competitive and inclusive net-zero economy
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As Nature and Biodiversity Day begins at COP29, and following COP16 on biodiversity in Colombia, a pivotal moment for addressing climate change and biodiversity loss emerges.
In Europe, COP16 resonated with the goals of the Nature Restoration Law (NRL), a pioneering initiative adopted in June 2024 aimed at revitalising degraded ecosystems across the continent. The legislation is a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal, establishing binding targets to restore ecosystems essential for biodiversity, climate mitigation and resilience, and disaster prevention.
The NRL reflects at the EU level the biodiversity goals adopted in 2022 at COP15. It’s the first continent-wide, comprehensive law of its kind, which found renewed momentum in Cali as part of the Global Framework for Biodiversity discussion.
Landing the EU Nature Restoration Law
The adoption of the Law followed a challenging journey, marked by unprecedented mobilisation and momentum built by many stakeholders over the past years.
Together with our partners, the ECF was one of the supporters of this campaign, thanks in part to surge funding from Arcadia that allowed us to increase our grant making at a critical moment.
We backed research initiatives to debunk myths about food security and worked with partners on the ground in countries like France, Poland, and Spain to frame constructive narratives on the NRL in their media spaces. The #RestoreNature coalition, comprising over 200 green NGOs, also played a central role by helping to build alliances and amplify new voices in support of the law. Additionally, a robust media campaign generated over 500 media hits globally, making the NRL one of the most discussed EU policies of the year, reaching over 75 million people.
Overall, the efforts of our network garnered support from over 1.2 million citizens, more than 100 businesses—including major companies like Nestlé and Danone—and business networks, over 9,000 scientists, progressive farmers, forest managers, the wind and solar energy industries, European hunters, financial institutions, European mayors, and faith leaders. Even Michelin-starred chefs teamed up with our partners IEEP and 89up to highlight the need for nature restoration. Their engagement brought significant media attention, showcasing how the NRL is vital for preserving culinary traditions threatened by climate change, with coverage spanning from primetime TV in Spain and Italy to financial and lifestyle media in France and Germany.
Looking ahead: The road to implementation
The journey is far from over. The dialogue in Cali and the discussions in Baku should inspire European leaders to take bold actions aligned with global conservation goals through ambitious implementation of the NRL at national level. This law marks the time for Europe to finally reverse biodiversity loss and revitalise ecosystems on which our societies depend.