On June 17, the Council of Europe finally approved the Nature Restoration Law, whose complex process had begun in 2022. The law had already been approved by the European Parliament in February this year.

It is an EU law that will play a crucial role in the EU's compliance with its obligations and commitments under international law, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement, signed by all member states.

The goal of the Nature Restoration Law is to restore resilient ecosystems, providing an opportunity to restore degraded environments to a livable future. It is not so much about recreating "lost nature," but rather opening a trajectory toward a more climate adaptive environment for both humans and nature, promoting our collective resilience to climate hazards, in urban as well as rural areas.

The law's focuses are, in fact, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems, marine habitats that to date have not been the subject of special protection measures, and urban ecosystems for which it is envisioned not only not to lose green spaces but to increase them to at least 10 percent tree-lined spaces.

NBFC has fielded the best research and innovation teams to respond concretely to the 5 key points of the Nature Restoration Law, which aims to:

1. Restoring Degraded Ecosystems: Implement concrete measures to rehabilitate and restore crucial natural habitats, such as forests, wetlands, rivers, and grasslands. NBFC has identified both scientific guidelines for strengthening functional biodiversity and ecosystem relationships in different habitats, and a catalog of Nature Based Solutions suitable for different environmental contexts and criticalities.

2. Protect Biodiversity: Strengthen existing regulations to ensure the conservation of threatened species and promote biological diversity. Here NBFC supports Parks and Reserves in research, digitization, and monitoring activities while promoting innovative forms of conservation even in transitional areas.

3. Addressing Climate Change: Contributing to the fight against climate change through nature-based solutions, reducing carbon emissions and improving ecosystem resilience. NBFC is particularly active in studying biodiversity responses to climate stresses and proposing effective solutions for both ecosystem protection and environmental rehabilitation (e.g., in urban areas with species more tolerant to high temperature, water stress, and pollution).

4. Promoting Human Welfare: Ensuring that local communities benefit from the restoration of ecosystems through the creation of green jobs, the promotion of sustainable tourism, and the improvement of quality of life. In this area, NBFC works with both targeted training projects and participatory land-use planning actions aimed at ensuring human well-being and preventing disease.

The passage of this law is a crucial step toward a sustainable and resilient future in which nature and humans can thrive together.