The IUCN European Red List continues to provide us with a better understanding of the status of biodiversity in Europe and the efforts needed to address the major threats to European species. IUCN actively contributed to the process of the fitness check of the EU Nature Directives, the results of which further underline the urgent need for improved implementation and action to help reverse these trends. However nature itself often offers the solutions to tackle these challenges. Nature-based solutions use nature and its functions to address some of our most important environmental and socio-economic challenges.

There is now growing interest for nature-based solutions in Europe, mainly from the scientific community, but also at the EU institutions. The European Commission Directorate General for Research and Innovation has created opportunities for crucial research on nature-based solutions as part of the Horizon 2020 programme, to demonstrate their multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits. We need to build on this momentum and scale-up investments in nature-based solutions and integrate them into the implementation strategy for the Sustainable Development Goals in Europe.

In 2016, the IUCN World Conservation Congress reenergised the conservation community, strengthened ambition and set new targets for IUCN and its Members. The IUCN European Work Programme 2017-2020 will help ensure that the ideas, connections and momentum sparked from the IUCN Congress 2016 are translated into concrete action by all parts of IUCN (Secretariat, Members and experts) to spur further change in Europe.

      Photo: IUCN