Global Forum on the Environment: Mainstreaming Biodiversity for Sustainable Development- Session 1

1. Tools and approaches for
mainstreaming biodiversity in
the EU
Laure Ledoux
Deputy Head of Unit
Biodiversity Unit,
DG Environment,
European Commission

2. Outline
 NBSAP: Mainstreaming in the EU biodiversity
strategy
 Financing biodiversity in the EU budget and
tracking biodiversity-related expenditure
 Involving the private sector: Natural Capital
Financing Facility and EU Business and
Biodiversity platform
 Knowledge tools: Mapping and Assessing
Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) and
natural capital accounting

3. 2050 Vision
2020 headline target

4. Financing biodiversity in the EU
budget
 Mainstreaming climate and biodiversity in the EU
budget: integral part of all main instruments.
• Focus on Natura 2000 network and green infrastructure
 LIFE instrument: limited in size but key role for
biodiversity
• Traditional projects for nature and biodiversity
• Integrated Projects for implementing EU legislation –
integrating different sources of funding
• Financial instruments: Natural Capital Financing Facility to
leverage funding from the private sector
 Biodiversity tracking

5. Draft Budget 2018
Biodiversity financing

6. Draft Budget 2018
Biodiversity financing (2)

7. Natural Capital Financing Facility (NCFF)
Objectives:
address market failures and demonstrate to private investors the
attractiveness of revenue-generating or cost-saving natural capital
projects;
leverage funding from private investors for investments in ecosystems
and ecosystem-based solutions to climate change adaptation.
€ 100-125 million Investment facility for 9-12 operations by 2021
Executed by EIB; EU contribution: € 50 million as guarantee, €10 million
for Support Facility to help develop projects
Project categories: Payments for ecosystem services, Green infrastructure
projects, Pro-biodiversity and pro-adaptation businesses, Projects involving
biodiversity offsets
EU Business and Biodiversity Platform
Including Community of Practice on Financing and Biodiversity

8. MAES and Natural Capital Accounting
 Action 5 of EU Biodiversity Strategy: Improve the knowledge
of ecosystems and their services in the EU
 “Member States, with the assistance of the Commission, to map and
assess the state of ecosystems and their services in their national
territory by 2014, assess the economic value of such services, and
promote the integration of these values into accounting and
reporting systems at EU and national level by 2020”
The working group on Mapping and
Assessment of Ecosystems and their
Services (MAES) oversees the
implementation of Action 5
Knowledge Innovation Project on Integrated
System of Natural Capital and Ecosystem
Services Accounts (KIP INCA)

9. Eurostat
From maps to accounting tables…
(…from accounting tables to better policies)

10. Knowledge and mainstreaming
Nature Directives
Action Plan for Nature,
People and the Economy

11. EU Guidance: Integration of ecosystem
services in decision-making
(Autumn 2018)
• Acknowledgement of the
value of nature &
multifunctional ecosystems
• Enhancing ecosystem
resilience & broad range
of ecosystem services
• Integration at every stage
of the policy process
• Call for case studies:
(un)successful experiences
& lessons learned

12. Thank you for your attention!
For more details on Biodiversity Strategy and related actions:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index_en.htm
Ecosystem Assessment Platfom:
http://biodiversity.europa.eu/ecosystem-assessments

13. EU biodiversity mid-term review (1)
 Policy frameworks in place and progress under each
target
 A wealth of positive experience to build on
 Insufficient scale and timelag for measurable
improvement in the state of biodiversity
Targets can only be reached if implementation and
enforcement efforts become considerably bolder and more
ambitious, and integration effective.
At the current rate of implementation, biodiversity loss will
continue in the EU and globally, with significant implications
for the capacity of ecosystems to meet human needs in the
future.

14. EU biodiversity mid-term review (2)
 Strong partnerships and full engagement of key actors:
1. Complete and manage effectively Natura 2000
2. Implement Invasive Alien Species Regulation
3. Recognize natural capital throughout the EU
 Effective integration with a wide range of policies:
• Coherent priorities and adequate funding
• Agriculture and forestry
• Marine and fisheries
• Regional development
Achieving biodiversity objectives can contribute to the growth
and jobs agenda, food and water security and quality
of life, as well as to the SDG implementation.

15. MAES overall conceptual framework

16. Eurostat
What do we need for ecosystem accounting
in the EU?
• We need biophysical accounts
• for direct use and as a basis for valuation studies,
upscaling
• We need an EU data layer of accounts
• reference frame for countries
• data foundation for responding to EU policies
• Key Policy issue:
• measure changes in our natural capital stock and
what impacts it has on our economy and society.
• assess the extent and condition of ecosystems that
is needed so that they can carry on delivering
essential services to our economy and society

17. Potential policy uses of NCA
Make better decisions by accounting for range of ecosystem benefits and
values in decision-making; Determine synergies/trade-offs
At macro-level:
•Develop macro-indicators, both physical and monetary
•Raise awareness; Identify limits and thresholds (sustainability dimension)
Sectoral and environmental policies:
•Show how sectors benefit from and impact on natural capital
•Synergies and trade-off across policies
•Common reference frame for assessing progress towards targets (eg
15% restoration target)
•Streamlined reporting across policies
Other dimensions: international (WAVES, UNSD) and corporate (EU
B@B; Natural Capital Protocol)