Nature Returns presented the approach of bringing innovative businesses to management and restoration of protected areas in the SERE Conference, that took place in Tartu, Estonia, during the week of 26th August, 2024.
SERE 2024 is the international conference organized by the European Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SERE), taking place in Europe every two years and gathering everyone working on the science, practice, and policy of ecological restoration. Over 670 participants attended this Conference, that gained increased visibility due to the recent approval of the EU Nature Restoration Law, and in 2024 with new and ambitious goals and actions to reverse biodiversity decline in Europe.
Nature Returns organized a specific session and workshop on the need for “Unlocking landscape restoration finance in Europe”, together with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP-WCMC) and Commonland. Recognizing that restoration can play an important role in addressing the challenges of biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change while supporting ecosystem services and improving overall human well-being, still insufficient funding is an issue that has been identified as one of the key barriers for restoration in Europe.
This special session discussed on overcoming key barriers to increasing investment in landscape restoration across Europe, including private financing. The final declaration from the SERE Conference clearly states that “the attraction of private capital to restoration is essential to reach the levels of financing needed to meet the challenges of restoration. Businesses and the financial sector can play a major role in the collective restoration effort through their participation and contribution to voluntary frameworks and other funding of restoration actions on the ground.”
Nature Returns was showcased as an interesting approach to overcome lack of funding for restoration, indicating that business innovations and entrepreneurs are essential to increase resilience and diversity of financial resources available. The conference also opened the opportunity to work with other initiatives such as Commonland and the Endangered Landscapes and Seascapes Programme (ELSP) by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.
