With 336 votes in favour, 300 against, and 13 abstentions, the European Parliament approved on July 12th the Nature Restoration Law, a historic legislation aiming to restore 20% of natural ecosystems by 2030. The long-term objective of the Nature Restoration Law is to restore degraded natural systems by 2050, with an immediate target of restoring at least 20% of ecosystems by 2030. This ambitious commitment requires concrete efforts from member countries.
The law focuses on various intervention areas, including the enhancement of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of particular interest, restoration of urban ecosystems, and natural river connectivity. Additionally, it aims to improve agricultural ecosystems by promoting increased carbon stocks in soils and the conservation of species such as butterflies and birds.
Specifically, the Nature Restoration Law includes:
Restoration and improvement of the conservation status of terrestrial and marine ecosystems of particular interest, with progressive milestones. The goal is to restore 20% of these ecosystems by 2030 and achieve 100% by 2050.
Restoration of urban ecosystems. The aim is to avoid net losses of urban green spaces and urban tree cover by 2030 compared to 2021, with a 5% increase by 2050. Additionally, a tree cover of 10% is targeted for all urban centers by 2050.
Restoration of natural river connectivity. Member States must identify river connectivity barriers by 2030 and remove them, contributing to the EU's objective of restoring at least 25,000 km of free-flowing rivers by 2030.
Improvement of agricultural ecosystems. The focus is on increasing carbon stocks in soils, conserving butterflies and birds typical of agroecosystems, and extending agricultural areas with landscape elements of high diversity.
Development of a Restoration Plan with a time horizon until 2050. This plan will outline the quantification of areas to be restored, necessary measures to achieve objectives, and an implementation schedule.
The Nature Restoration Law represents a significant step forward for the conservation and restoration of the natural environment. Now, the European Parliament will enter negotiations with the Council to define the final form of the legislation, during which further changes to the text may be made.
The approval of this law sends a positive signal for biodiversity conservation and reflects the commitment of the European Union to preserve our ecosystems for future generations.
Regarding the restoration objectives in Sardinia, where the current surface area of protected and safeguarded areas amounts to 19% of the territory, the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy has already set a more ambitious target of aiming for 30% of restored areas by 2030, including the restoration of currently degraded areas and habitats.
Latest news
DEEP DIVE: The Alarming State of the Ocean – Inspiring Action and Searching for Solutions (Webinar)
In celebration of World Ocean Day, MEDSEA invites you to the online event "Deep Dive: The Alarming State of the Ocean", a detailed analysis of the challenges that oceans are…
Fire Monitoring Test successfully conducted in Santu Lussurgiu thanks to IoT Technologies
At the end of April, a major breakthrough in fire prevention technology was achieved in the forests of San Leonardo. Thanks to pre-fire detection sensors, an IoT (Internet of Things) technology developed and…
REST COAST, at the annual meeting in Groningen, demonstrates the effectiveness of natural restoration of aquatic systems
The standstill of the Nature Restoration Law, the European law on nature restoration, stalled in its final approval phase in the Council due to the hesitations of some Member States, has…
TransformAr makes a stop in Finland for the sixth Consortium Meeting
In mid-April, the sixth Consortium meeting of the H2020 TransformAr Project was held in Lappeenranta, recognized as the Climate Capital of Finland. This city truly exemplifies sustainability, with 100% of waste recycled and all…
Launch of the PLASTRON Project in Genoa: A Cross-Border Initiative for the marin Plastic & Paper Recycling
The PLASTRON project is about to start. With the goal of improving the sustainability of local communities by providing knowledge and tools for collecting and transforming plastic from the coast…
Wetland4Change to Address Climate Change with Wetlands, Kickoff in Sofia
Last week, hosted by the University of Forestry in Sofia, the kickoff of "Wetland4Change" took place, marking the start of an ambitious Interreg Euro-MED project within the Natural Heritage Mission aimed at…
The Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area towards a New Zoning with Blue4All
A new co-management model to reorganise marine protected areas, benefiting from all the tools and knowledge provided by the Blue4All project will be soon implemented in Sardinia. Later last month, preliminary meetings…
TransformAr, Adaptation Pathways to Climate Change for Fishing Validated, All Set for Sensor Installation
TransformAr enters its most operational phase at the pilot site in Oristano where, in March, the MEDSEA team met with the Municipality of Terralba and the fishermen of the San Giovanni Lagoon from the Marceddì Consortium to…
Revitalizing the Mediterranean: ARTEMIS Project Unites Environment and Innovation
March marked the launch of "Artemis", a project of the Interreg Euro-MED Programme that seeks to combine the ecological benefits of seagrass with innovative financial strategies, such as Payment for Ecosystem…
Petit Noirs: From Senegal to Arborea to Combat Illegal Immigration with Mussel Farming
Sustainable mussel farming in Arborea becomes an international example with a project linking Dakar, Senegal, with Sardinia, aiming to combat illegal immigration and generate economic opportunities.
The Charm of Wetlands in Sardinia: Over a Thousand Visitors in the World Wetlands Day Event Calendar in Sardinia"
With over 30 events, from January 27 to March 10, 2024, the MEDSEA World Wetlands Day in Sardinia comes to a close. The initiative, which falls in the month when wetlands are…
First Meeting of the DesirMED Project in Venice: A Step Forward in Climate Adaptation in the Mediterranean
Last month, the historic city of Venice hosted the first meeting of DesirMED, a project funded by the HORIZON Europe program aimed at addressing one of the most pressing challenges of…
Sails Towards the Future: The UniCa Sailing Team and the Challenge of Eco-Sustainable Boats in Sardinia
In Sardinia, circular and low-impact solutions for water sports and sailing are being studied. The University of Cagliari, together with the UniCa Sailing Team, is working on the construction of an…
The first General Assembly kicked off in Lecce: for a more resilient MPAs network
The first General Assembly of the "Blue 4 All" project took place in Lecce from January 23 to 26, 2024. The event, hosted by the CMCC Climate - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate…
It's Time to Celebrate Wetlands: join World Wetlands Day Sardegna 2024
In Sardinia, February is the month of wetlands! We celebrate World Wetlands Day on the occasion of February 2nd, which marks the 53rd anniversary of the establishment of the RAMSAR Convention for…
TransformAR Reaches Halfway: The Progress in the San Giovanni Lagoon
TransformAR, at the pilot site of Marceddì-San Giovanni (Terralba) in Sardinia, one of the six demonstration sites of the project, is gaining momentum. The project, which develops transformative adaptation solutions to climate change…
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4