What is the Nature Restoration Law (NRL)?

About Nature Restoration Law (NRL):

• It is a European Union (EU) law to tacklethe triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
• It is the first continent-wide, comprehensive law of its kind.
• It is a key element of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which sets binding targetsto restore degraded ecosystems, in particular those with the most potential to capture and store carbon and to prevent and reduce the impact of natural disasters.
  • Under the NRL, Member States will have to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030, including terrestrial, coastal, and freshwater, forest, agricultural, and urban areas.
  • By 2050, the measures should extend to all ecosystems “requiring restoration”.
  • The EU NRL also targets an obligation to improve urban green spaces, contribute to free-flowing rivers by removing artificial barriers, increase pollinator populations, and contribute to the target of 3 billion additional trees throughout the EU.
  • Member States must adopt “restoration plans” detailing how they intend to achieve these targets and ensure that the restored areas do not significantly deteriorate. 
  • While drafting these Nature Restoration Plans, Member States also need to consider socio-economic impacts and benefits and estimate the financial needs for its implementation.

Q1: What is the European Union (EU)?

The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe. The EU was established by the Maastricht Treaty, which entered into force on November 1, 1993. The main goal of the EU is to promote cooperation and integration among its member states in order to enhance economic and political stability in Europe.

News: The case for a nature restoration law in India

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