#RestoreNature joint statement
We, the undersigned 207 civil society organisations, call upon all EU Member States, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to urgently adopt a strong Nature Restoration Law that is fit for purpose to tackle the twin biodiversity and climate crises
We are heading towards a mass biodiversity extinction and climate breakdown, threatening the very basis of life as we know it The science is very clear on this Efforts so far have been largely inadequate to address these crises and to restore our relationship with nature Unsurprisingly, increasingly frequent droughts, floods and forest fires are making the effects of the crises ever-more obvious all across Europe
The EU Nature Restoration Regulation is the unique opportunity of this decade to change the pathway from continuous deterioration to regeneration, where we steer towards a safe and resilient future of living in harmony with nature Restoring nature means restoring our greatest ally in tackling the climate crisis and its severe impact, restoring our own health and wellbeing, and restoring our livelihoods and economies Nature restoration is one of the best investments our society can make Yet, time is running out
We therefore call upon national governments, Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission to:
● Adopt the Nature Restoration Regulation by the end of 2023.
● Ensure that by 2030, nature restoration is happening on EU land and seas on a large scale. We therefore support the proposal of the rapporteur of the European Parliament to ensure that by 2030, at least 30% of the EU’s land and at least 30% of the EU’s sea area are covered by effective area-based restoration measures, with fair and proportionate contributions by all Member States.
● Ensure strong nature restoration targets for all ecosystems covered by the legal proposal (terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine natural habitats, urban ecosystems, rivers, pollinator habitats, agricultural ecosystems, peatlands and forest ecosystems). The targets need to match the extent and urgency of the biodiversity and climate crises.
● Ensure that all targets are fully met by 2040 at the latest. Delaying action until 2050 undermines the EU’s climate neutrality obligations and risks crossing irreversible tipping points.
● Adopt fully implementable targets, with clear safeguards to ensure that the Common Fisheries Policy does not block the implementation of marine restoration.
● Ensure the long-term non-deterioration of restored ecosystems. Allowing habitats to degrade right after restoring them not only fails to address the crises in the long-term, but is also inherently inefficient and a waste of public funding.
● Support a strong accountability framework to ensure all Member States contribute fairly to the law and can be held accountable.
● Call for dedicated nature restoration funding as part of the next EU budget.
● Withstand and counter vested interests, who are continuously trying to undermine the Nature Restoration Law
Delaying action, watering down the ambition or limiting the scope of the law will only make it more difficult, more costly and more time-consuming to deal with the consequences It would put our life and that of all other beings at stake So let's make it work now
For more information, visit restorenature eu
Signatories:
AirClim
AKTI PROJECT & RESEARCH CENTRE
Alba Natura Civil Foundation
AlpeAdria Green International
Amigos de laTierra
Aplinkosaugos koalicija (Environmental Coalition of Lithuania)
ARCHE NOAH
ASOCIACIÓN REFORESTA
Association Klaipedian Initiative for Democracy and the Environment (KIDE))
Austrian Youth Biodiversity Network - GYBN
Austria
Balkan River Defence
BIOMAssociation
BirdLife - SEO
BirdLifeAustria
BirdLife Bulgaria - Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds
BirdLife Cyprus
BirdLife DOF
Birdlife Estonia
Birdlife Europe and CentralAsia
BirdLife Finland
Birdlife Greece – Hellenic Ornithological Society
BirdLife Hungary - MME
BirdLife Italy - Lipu
BirdLife Malta
BirdLife Slovenia DOPPS
BirdLife Sweden
Birdwatch Ireland
BLOOM
Bodensee-Stiftung - Internationale Stiftung für Natur und Kultur
BOS+
Buglife -The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
CEE Bankwatch Network
CEEweb for Biodiversity
Center for Environmental Policy (AAPC)
Center for Protection and Research of Birds
Center for Research and Information for the Environment Eko-svest
Centrum Ochrony Mokradeł / Wetlands
Conservation Centre
CIDAMB - Associação Nacional para a Cidadania
Ambiental
CIPRASlovenia
Client Earth
ClimateAction Network Europe
Climate Catalyst
CMCC Foundation | Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change
Coalition Clean Baltic
ComitatoAVB
Comité Schone Lucht
Cork Nature Network
Czech Society for Ornithology
Danish Society for Nature Conservation
Darnaus vystymosi centras
Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V (German Environmental Action)
Deutscher Naturschutzring (DNR)
Dinaricum Society
Društvo Ekologi brez meja
Društvo Proteus, gibanje za naravo in okolje, Bela krajina
Društvo za preučevanje rib Slovenije (DPRS)
Eco-TIRAS International Association of River Keepers
ECOLISE - European network for community-led initiatives on climate change and sustainability
Εcological Movement Cyprus
Ecologistas enAcción
ECOS - Environmental Coalition on Standards
Eko krog - društvo za naravovarstvo in okoljevarstvo
Ekoskog
El Fanal - Col·lectiu Cultural i Ecologista del Moianès
Environmental Center for Administration and Technology
Environmental Pillar
Estonian Fund for Nature ELF
EuroNatur
EUROPARC Federation
EuropeanAnglersAlliance (EAA)
European Cave Protection Commission by the Fédération Spéléologique Européenne
European Environmental Bureau
European Living LakesAssociation
EuropeanYoung Rewilders
Fältbiologerna
Fédération des réserves naturelles catalanes/ RNN Jujols
Federation of Environmental Organisations in Cyprus (FEOC NGOs)
FIRE
Forests of the World (Verdens Skove)
Foundation for Peatland Restoration and Conservation
France Nature Environnement (FNE)
Friends ofAkamas
Friends of Fertő lakeAssociation
Friends of the Earth Cyprus
Friends of the Earth Czech Republic - Hnutí DUHA
Friends of the Earth Germany - BUND e.V
Friends of The Earth Hungary - MTVSZ - National Society of Conservationists
Fundación Española de Renaturalización (Rewilding Spain)
Fundación Global Nature
Fundacion Nueva Cultura delAgua
FundatiaADEPTTransilvania
Gamtos apsaugos asociacija "Baltijos vilkas"
Generation Climate Europe (GCE)
Generation Earth (Youthnetwork of WWFAT)
GEOTA-Grupo de Estudos de Ordenamento do Território eAmbiente
GLOBAL2000
Global Nature Fund
GlobalYouth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Europe
Great Lakes and Wetland Federation (Nagy Tavak és Vizes Élőhelyek Szövetsége)
Greenpeace
Greenpeace Czech Republic
GRÜNE LIGAe.V
Gyvo Žalio
Herpetološko društvo - Societas herpetologica slovenica
Humanitas - Centre for Global Learning and Cooperation
IFAW
Institute forAgriculture andTrade Policy
Institute for ichthyological and ecological research, REVIVO
International Mire Conservation Group
IPoP- Institute for Spatial Policies
Irish WildlifeTrust
Jamarski klub Kamnik
Koalicja Żywa Ziemia [Living Earth Coalition]
LandschappenNL
Lašišos dienoraštis
Latvian Fund for Nature
Latvian Ornithological Society
Leefmilieu
Legambiente
Lietuvos gamtos draugija (Lithuanian Nature Society)
Lietuvos geologų sąjunga
Lietuvos ŽaliasisAljansas
Liga para a Protecção da Natureza
LithuanianArboricultural Center
Lithuanian entomological society
Lithuanian Fund for Nature
Living Rivers Foundation
Luontoliitto (The Finnish Nature League)
Lutra, Institute for Conservation of Natural Heritage
Mammal Conservation Europe
MEDASSET
MedINA
MedWet
Mes Darom (Let’s Do It Lithuania)
Michael Succow Foundation
Milvus Group
MIO-ECSDE
Morigenos
NABU
Natagora
natur&ëmwelt
Naturalists Club Poland (Klub Przyrodników)
Naturefriends International
Naturskyddsföreningen (Swedish Society for Nature Conservation)
Natuur & Milieu
Natuur en Milieufederaties
Natuurmonumenten
Natuurpunt
Natuurpunt vzw
Noé
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Oceana Europe
OEKOBUERO
Okoljsko društvo Proteus
One Voice
OrnithologischeArbeitsgemeinschaft Bodensee
Päästame Eesti Metsad (Save Estonia's Forests)
Paliurus
Partnership for Policy Integrity
Planet Positive
Polish Society for Bird Protection
Public Association Republican Center "Gutta-Club""
RewildingApennines ETS
Rewilding Europe
Rewilding France
Rewilding Oder Delta
Rewilding Portugal
Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation
Rewilding Sweden
Rewilding Velebit Foundation
RUPI
SABUKO - Society for Nature Conservation
Salviamo l'Orso
SeasAt Risk
Sengirės fondas |TheAncient Woods Foundation
SEPANSOAquitaine
SFEPM - Societe Française pour l'Etude et la Protection des Mammifères
Slovene Dragonfly Society
Slovensko društvo za zaščito voda
ŠO društvo Ohranimo naravo čisto
Societatea Ornitologică Română
Society for Ecological Restoration Europe
Society for the Protection of Prespa
Society for Sustainable Living
SPEA(Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds)
SPECO - Sociedade Portuguesa de Ecologia
StopAvalonTata Civil Mozgalom
SwedishAnglersAssociation (Sportfiskarna)
Tagis - Centro de Conservação das Borboletas de Portugal
TETT -Tegyünk Együtt Tudatosan Településünkért
Egyesület
The FinnishAssociation for Nature Conservation
The Habitat Foundation
The North Sea Foundation
The Polish Society for Protection of Birds, OTOP/BirdLife Poland
Umanotera, The Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development
Verband der deutschen Höhlen- und Karstforscher
e.V. / German Speleological Federation
Vogelbescherming Nederland
Waddenvereniging
WeMove Europe
Western Center of the Ukrainian department of the International Center of Scientific Culture - The World Laboratory
Wetlands International Europe
Wild Europe Foundation
WWF European Policy Office, on behalf of the EU WWF Network (with WWF in Czechia and WWF-Belgium)
Youth and Environment Europe
Zeleni Osijek
ZERO -Associação SistemaTerrestre Sustentável