R5: Restore and protect nature and climate

The ongoing climate crisis and sixth wave of extinction of biodiversity calls for strong and coordinated action to solve both challenges simultaneously. Therefore, the EGP strongly supports the European Commission’s proposal for a Nature Restoration Law that clearly addresses these issues. The specific objective is to restore degraded ecosystems across the EU in order to help the EU's biodiversity to be on it's path to recovery by 2030, and restoration by 2050. This includes wetlands, forests, marine, agro-ecosystems, rivers, lakes and alluvial habitats.

The proposal is based on clear and concrete scientific evidence and suggests binding goals for national implementation - goals that are ambitious and calls for immediate action. Action that is urgently needed since the current trends are resulting in detrimental and irreversible losses of biodiversity. Nature restoration is also the best short- and long-term solution for reversing ongoing climate change, giving added value to several aspects of our common future.

At the same time, given the natural system’s intricate connectedness and complexity, limiting climate change is very important for nature conservation and restoration. Therefore measures to curb climate change have to be implemented fast and thoroughly.

Acknowledging that the status of 81% of EU habitats is poor, that one in three bee and butterfly species are in decline, and that every euro invested in nature restoration adds between €8 and €38 in benefits and many otherthese are stong reasons for taking strong action to restore nature.

Acknowledging that the status of 81% of EU habitats is poor, that one in three bee and butterfly species are in decline, and that every euro invested in nature restoration adds between €8 and €38 in benefits andacknowledging that there are many other reasons for taking strong action to restore nature.

Acknowledging that the status of 81% of EU habitats is poor, that one in three bee and butterfly species are in decline, and that every euro invested in nature restoration adds between €8 and €38 in benefits and, are some among many other reasons for taking strong action to restore nature.

The EGP wants to emphasise the following aspects of the Nature Restoration Law and the need for further and strengthened action:: The EGP demands further and strenghtened actions on the following aspects of the Nature Restoration Law.

The EGP wants to emphasise the following aspects of the Nature Restoration Law and the need for further and strengthened action:

• While the Restoration Law as the first real nature legislation in 20 years rightly focuses on restoring carbon-rich ecosystems such as peatlands, wetlands and old-growth forests, it falls short in addressing the role of current forestry management, especially on drained peatlands, and lacks strong governance mechanisms and a robust funding. We therefore call on the European Parliament and Member States to improve the Commission's proposal in these regards and to complete negotiations in a timely manner in order to be able to meet ambitious 2030 targets;