The German Advisory Council on the Environment presents its statement on nature restoration to Federal Environment Minister Lemke
Today in Berlin, the German Advisory Council on the Environment (Sachverständigenrat für Umweltfragen, SRU) presented Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke with its statement entitled “Renaturation: strengthening biodiversity and making land management sustainable”. In its statement, the SRU emphasises that in addition to protecting nature, it is also crucial to actively improve its status. The core message is that we need to improve conditions for nature restoration and create ambitious renaturation policy in Germany and Europe. The SRU highlights the importance of support measures for nature-based climate action, for example under the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity. The SRU statement was drawn up in collaboration with the Scientific Advisory Board on Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (WBBGR) and the Scientific Advisory Board on Forest Policy (WBW).
Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke commented: "Healthy and stable ecosystems are an insurance policy for our survival and allies in the fight against the climate crisis. The way we treat nature today will determine the way we all live in future. The SRU rightly highlights this key fact and has provided scientifically sound evidence of the need for ecosystem restoration. The Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity is therefore one of the German government’s key instruments for protecting the climate and conserving biodiversity. Without nature-based solutions, Germany is set to miss its climate targets for the land use sector. I fully support the SRU’s call to drive forward renaturation and to secure and expand long-term financing for the Action Plan".
The SRU statement on renaturation is also important in the context of the proposed EU nature restoration regulation. In order to implement international commitments, this regulation is to contain legally binding goals, for example on the renaturation of seas, rivers and forests, urban and agricultural ecosystems and on protection for pollinators. Based on this, Germany plans to develop further appropriate measures for nature restoration, drawing them together in a national restoration plan. After lengthy negotiations, the EU Member States agreed on a balanced compromise of all interests. However, confirmation in the EU Council of Ministers is still required.
The latest statement (in German) and further information can be found on the website of the German Advisory Council on the Environment.
Background information
The German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) was set up in 1971 as an independent scientific body to advise the German government on environmental issues. In line with its legal competences, it examines environmental situations and their trends, and environmentally relevant political, economic and societal activities. Its task is to point out adverse developments and to outline options for preventing or overcoming environmental problems.
In its statement, the advisory council stresses that the continuing decline in habitats for animals, plants and other organisms – globally, in Europe and in Germany – proves the need for active renaturation policy. The statement also emphasises that renaturation not only strengthens biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems, but also supports sustainable land use, climate change mitigation and adaptation. The United Nations designated the years 2021 to 2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, highlighting the importance of renaturation at global level.