Unlocking EU-wide uptake of Nature-based Solutions on private land

Despite strong EU policy support for Nature-based Solutions (NbS), their implementation on private land remains limited. Many NbS generate long-term public benefits such as climate resilience, biodiversity protection and water regulation, while landowners often face short-term costs and uncertain incentives. Evidence from the LAND4CLIMATE regions shows that unclear financial frameworks, fragmented governance, legal uncertainty and insufficient engagement with landowners continue to slow down implementation. In order to accelerate the uptake of NbS, this policy brief recommends integrating ecosystem resilience into core economic and sectoral policies, making NbS financially competitive through long-term incentives and new funding models, clarifying legal conditions for restoration on private land, and investing in regional capacity for co-design, advisory services and participatory governance.

Marcelo Daniel Gerlach, Expert in Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions, ICLEI Europe
Simon Racé, Junior Expert in Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions, ICLEI Europe
Thaler Senior Researcher, Institute of Landscape Planning, BOKU
Roger Roca Vallejo Expert in Biodiversity & Nature-based Solutions, ICLEI Europe