Three federal expert councils - SRU, WBBGR and WBW - have jointly developed recommendations for a renaturation policy for the federal and state governments. In addition to protecting the remaining nature, the condition of damaged ecosystems should be improved more than it has been the case to date. This includes upgrading existing protected areas as well as managing agricultural land and forests in a more natural and sustainable way.

"Humanity is dependent on functioning and resilient ecosystems, for example for food production, an intact water balance and climate adaptation," says Prof. Josef Settele, member of the SRU. "Restoration is not only necessary in protected areas, but especially in areas intensively used for agriculture and forestry. It will only succeed if we create synergies between nature conservation and land use interests and minimize conflicts. Therefore, we welcome the fact that the German government is campaigning for an EU restoration law".

The report "Renaturation: Protecting biodiversity, managing land sustainably" was presented to Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke on April 19, 2024.

You can find the full press release here.