The EU Recovery Funds: time to start properly investing in biodiversity and nature conservation

Briefing    |    18 March 2021

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The state of nature is in crisis. A recent European Environmental Agency (EEA) report reveals that 81 per cent of habitats in Europe are in ‘poor condition’, and without swift action this dire situation will only become worse. We need systemic and wide-reaching reforms and investments to address biodiversity and nature conservation before it is too late. The European Union’s flagship recovery instrument, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), is the most concrete answer to such a crisis. Worth EUR 672 billion, this emergency fund offers a golden opportunity to invest in transformative green projects and reforms. If planned correctly, the allocation of these funds today will create path dependencies and set in motion the ecological transformation of our economies, delivering the key climate, energy and biodiversity objectives that form the backbone of the European Green Deal. The following key points need to be addressed in order to use this recovery as an opportunity to address biodiversity loss and nature conservation, before it is too late.