This opinion piece written by Laure-Lou Tremblay and Kassia Rudd (ICLEI Europe), was first published in Euractiv for the Network Nature project.
Europe is set to face immense socio-ecological challenges in the coming decades, including extreme heat and flooding, with dire impacts for community health and city infrastructure. There is, however, good news: we have a powerful tool at our disposal: Nature-based Solutions (NbS). NbS use the power of healthy ecosystems to mitigate climate change impacts while enhancing biodiversity. With such clear benefits, why are NbS absent in 65% of key EU environmental and sustainability policies?
Europe is warming faster than any other continent. Our cities suffer from increased heat stress and heightened extreme weather events, with severe implications for human health. At the same time, 85% of EU habitats and 73% of protected species are in poor condition. Human and environmental health go hand in hand—we cannot improve life in our cities without concurrently protecting the ecosystems on which we rely.
Despite the clear benefits of NbS, the results of a new policy report indicate that NbS are only explicitly mentioned in 35% of key EU environmental and sustainability policies. The systematic analysis of 48 ongoing and upcoming EU policies coupled with expert interviews and supporting literature revealed that NbS are underutilised and underfinanced. Furthermore, cooperation and understanding across policy levels is lacking—leading to gaps in implementation.
We need local-level uptake of NbS across the EU. Currently, despite proven impact, NbS are often absent from Member State national implementation plans. The slow adoption, highlighted by the NetworkNature report, reveals deeper issues such as policy incoherence across sectors (i.e. climate, agriculture, and biodiversity) and insufficient funding. An added difficulty is the non-binding nature of many NbS related targets. In the absence of a clear legal framework, earmarked funds, and private sector involvement, cities and local authorities are left without the budget or guidelines necessary to implement green infrastructure effectively. Without a policy sea change, NbS implementation will remain fragmented, small-scale, and incapable of achieving the transformative impact Europe desperately needs.
Time is not on our side. The EU and its Member States must take immediate steps to mainstream NbS, not just in urban policies but across agriculture, water, climate, finance and beyond. The new Commission for 2024-2029 will need to set an ambitious agenda for NbS deployment.
You can learn more about these different issues and the opportunities for NbS deployment by attending the NetworkNature Annual Event 25 September in Brussels, and by reading the policy report.
