(26 March 2015) – The Horizon 2020 expert group on ‘Nature-Based Solutions and Re-Naturing Cities’ has published a report with recommendations to be taken forward by the European Commission and Member States.
According to the expert group, we are living in a time of great opportunities for addressing societal challenges, such as increased urbanisation, economic inequalities and climate change, and for ensuring our society is protected from foreseeable future changes.
There is a growing interest and awareness within the business community2 of the value of managing and maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services, as a business opportunity and as an essential means to reduce economic risks by ensuring the continued supply of vital resources.
Although significant questions and knowledge gaps remain, Europe has extensive pools of knowledge, scientific expertise, skills and technological capability relevant to nature-based solutions. Local examples abound. What is needed is to enhance the evidence-base and rationale and to implement nature-based solutions at a greater speed and a wider scale.
The expert group recommends seven areas for nature-based solutions for R&I actions to be taken forward by the European Commission and Member States: urban regeneration, well-being in urban areas, coastal resilience, watershed management and ecosystem restoration, sustainability of the use of matter and energy, enhancing the insurance value of ecosystems, carbon sequestration.