Biodiversity Strategy for 2030

The agreement has garnered strong support from the financial sector, with over 150 financial institutions collectively holding more than US$24 trillion in global assets. These influential institutions have expressed their resolute endorsement for an ambitious framework aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss. Their backing underscores the recognition within the financial sector of the urgent need to address biodiversity conservation as a critical priority. The significant involvement of financial institutions highlights the growing awareness of the economic risks associated with biodiversity loss and the importance of integrating nature-related considerations into investment decisions. This united front from the financial sector provides a powerful impetus for advancing efforts to protect and restore biodiversity on a global scale.

The strategy emphasizes the importance of unlocking funding dedicated to biodiversity conservation while simultaneously establishing a robust and enhanced governance framework. This framework aims to achieve the following objectives:

1.  Ensure better implementation and track progress: The strategy recognizes the need for effective implementation of biodiversity conservation measures and the importance of monitoring progress. By establishing a strengthened governance framework, the EU aims to enhance accountability and ensure that actions are implemented efficiently and effectively. Regular monitoring and evaluation will help track progress towards biodiversity goals and enable timely adjustments as needed.
2. Improve knowledge, financing, and investments: The strategy recognizes the significance of scientific knowledge, adequate financing, and strategic investments in biodiversity conservation. By fostering research and knowledge-sharing initiatives, the EU aims to enhance its understanding of biodiversity and its conservation requirements. Additionally, the strategy emphasizes the need to mobilize financial resources, both from public and private sectors, to support biodiversity conservation efforts. This includes exploring innovative financing mechanisms and promoting sustainable investments in biodiversity-related projects.
3. Better respect nature in decision-making: The strategy highlights the imperative of considering and respecting nature in both public and business decision-making processes. By integrating biodiversity considerations into decision-making frameworks, the EU aims to ensure that policies, regulations, and business practices align with nature conservation goals. This involves promoting sustainable practices, minimizing negative impacts on ecosystems, and fostering a harmonious relationship between economic activities and nature.

Through these measures, the EU aims to strengthen its commitment to biodiversity conservation, foster sustainable development, and instill a greater sense of responsibility towards nature in all realms of decision-making by establishing protected areas covering a minimum of 30% of Europe's land and 30% of its sea. Additionally, it involves the restoration of degraded ecosystems across the entire European region, accomplished through measures such as promoting organic farming and incorporating biodiversity-rich landscape features into agricultural land. The plan also aims to halt and reverse the decline of pollinators, reduce pesticide usage and associated risks by 50% by 2030, restore at least 25,000 km of EU rivers to their natural flow, and even undertake the ambitious task of planting 3 billion trees by the end of the decade.

Moreover, the EU aims to allocate €20 billion annually towards biodiversity conservation by leveraging diverse funding sources, including EU funds, national contributions, and private investments. Considerations related to natural capital and biodiversity will be seamlessly integrated into business practices. By pursuing this strategy, the EU strives to assume a leadership position on the global stage in tackling the pressing biodiversity crisis. To achieve this, the Commission will employ various external tools and forge international partnerships, with a particular focus on facilitating the adoption of an ambitious new UN Global Biodiversity Framework at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2021.