Overview of progress in the EU’s 2017 research policy goals on NbS

In 2016, the EC developed a policy roadmap for R&I on NBS around five policy goals, intending to further develop knowledge and uptake of NBS by pursuing dialogues and initiatives. This section provides an overview of several major advancements that took place since the launch of these five objectives. 

1. Enhancing framework conditions – EU policies

• The European Green Deal has integrated NbS across various strategies and initiatives (e.g., the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the EU Forest Strategy, and the EU Soil Strategy), recognising them as vital for achieving sustainability goals.

• The EU Missions are investing in R&I to promote NbS, specifically t3 Missions are of particular in - interest for NBS: 

  • Adaptation to Climate Change: support at least 150 European regions and communities to become climate resilient by 2030, 
  • Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030 
  • 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030

2. Develop a community of innovators

• The EC has fostered a distinct NbS Community through research projects calls under the R&I programs Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 

• The creation of the NbS Task Forces has been crucial in clustering the growing portfolio of NbS projects. They have been able to gather and synthesise projects’ outputs to enhance their ecological, social and innovation impact while ensuring their policy relevance. The Six Task Forces (TFs) established foster synergies around topical challenges while promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange.

3. Create and consolidate evidence base

• The EC has addressed a wide range of NbS themes within its Work Programmes. It has also encouraged knowledge exchange through the development of platforms and networks, such as NetworkNature, the EU Business@Biodiversity Platform, and the Urban Greening Platform.

• An analysis of EU R&I outputs on NbS showcases the cost-effectiveness of NbS, supports policy implementation, and highlights policy recommendations and knowledge gaps. 

4. Advancing the development, uptake, and upscaling of innovative NbS

• The EC, EU NbS Task Force and NbS National and Regional Hubs are driving efforts to uptake and upscale NbS through case studies and best practices. National and Regional Hubs focus on local barriers and opportunities for NbS adoption. 

• Acknowledging the importance of the funding barrier to the deployment of NbS, a recent study led by the European Investment Bank assessed the access-to-finance conditions for NbS, and provided recommendations to attract public and private investments.

5. Mainstreaming NbS internationally

• The EC aims to promote global adoption of NbS. In this line, Sector Dialogues – such as those with Brazil - were organised to facilitate international cooperation and provide regional and policy recommendations, as well as specific calls targeting international collaboration - European projects play a key role in fostering global interactions and collaborations among diverse stakeholders and across regions, contributing to the growing recognition and adoption of NbS internationally, despite remaining reluctance from some governments.