WHEN NATURE CAN DO THE JOB: Fostering Co-benefits for People and the Environment in View of the Nature Restoration Regulation

On 19 March 2025, leading voices from science, policy, and practice came together in Brussels for the event “When Nature Can Do the Job”, co-organised by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), four Horizon Europe research projects — wildE, REWRITE, WILDCARD — and the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) Europe.

Held in light of the recently adopted EU Nature Restoration Regulation, this timely event explored how large-scale ecological restoration can deliver real co-benefits for both people and nature. The regulation marks a historic milestone — the first EU-wide legal framework focused specifically on restoring degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Its successful implementation will require integrated, innovative approaches that are environmentally effective, economically feasible, and socially inclusive.

Opening Perspectives: Why Let Nature Do the Job?

The event opened with welcoming remarks from Aveliina Helm, President of SER Europe, and Hilde Eggermont, Director of the Research Institute for Nature and Forest.

The first session, “Why should we let nature do the job?”, moderated by Georg Winkel (Wageningen University), laid out the scientific, economic, and policy rationale for ecosystem restoration. Keynote contributions included:

• Henrique Pereira (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research) on climate-smart rewilding for a thriving future;
• Jette Bredahl Jacobsen (University of Copenhagen, EU Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change) on nature’s role in EU climate policy;
• Sven Wunder (European Forest Institute) on the real costs and benefits of forest restoration.

Together, the presentations emphasized the need for interdisciplinary solutions that align climate action, biodiversity goals, and human wellbeing.

Restoration in Practice: Where Nature is Already Doing the Job

The second session, moderated by Charlotte Hopkins (University of Hull), showcased success stories from across Europe, where restoration has already proven its potential:

• Jens-Christian Svenning (Aarhus University) provided insights on the restoration of European woodlands;
• Wouter Helmer (ARK Nature, Rewilding Europe) shared lessons from the Gelderse Poort landscape;
• Iris Möller (Trinity College Dublin, representing REWRITE project) presented nature-based coastal protection strategies that go beyond traditional infrastructure.

Each example illustrated how restoring ecosystems can enhance both biodiversity and climate resilience in diverse contexts.

Making the Regulation Work: Policy, Governance, and Finance

The final session, “Let the Nature Restoration Regulation Facilitate the Job”, moderated by Katharina Faradsch (Prospex Institute), tackled the practical hurdles of implementing restoration at scale. Three experts examined legal, governance, and financial enablers:

• An Cliquet (University of Ghent, SER Europe Legal Working Group) outlined how legal clarity can support restoration upscaling;
• Jan Verheeke (Flemish Environment Council, EEAC Network) explored governance structures that promote restoration integrity and transparency;
• Ariel Brunner (BirdLife International) made the case for investing in nature to build resilient societies.

 

The event concluded with a powerful message from Humberto Delgado Rosa, Director of Biodiversity at the European Commission’s DG Environment, who urged stakeholders across sectors to seize the momentum offered by the Nature Restoration Regulation and help drive transformative change.

With its rich blend of science, policy insight, and real-world cases, “When Nature Can Do the Job” underscored that nature-based solutions are not only viable — they are essential. As the EU enters a new chapter in its environmental policy, events like this help chart the path toward a greener, more resilient future for all.