NATURVATION project report: Nature-based solutions in European and national policy frameworks, May 2018

This report examines whether and how EU and Member State (MS) policy frameworks addressnature-based solutions (NBS) and related concepts, and how these are taken up in current policy frameworks

The report, which has been carried out with the H2020-funded NATURVATION project, utilised desk research and expert interviews to identify relevant EU and MS policy instruments across a range of sectors and gather impressions about the national policy discourse and upcoming developments. 

The analysis revealed that while multipleMSand EU policy instruments explicitly acknowledge NBS-related concepts, they rarely contain quantitative and measurable targets relating to NBS deployment and quality. Furthermore, relevant policies often require no or only voluntary action in this regard. The reviewed policy frameworks also largely neglect urban areas when considering NBS and - when included - focus heavily on maintaining and restoring existing green and blue areas as opposed to deploying NBS to create new green and blue spaces.

Authors: McKenna Davis, Katrina Abhold, Linda Mederake, Doris Knoblauch