Biodiversity

Our Work

The European Community is an important funder of conservation within the EU. IEEP has decades of experience in contributing to debates on EU and global financing of biodiversity. We aim to help policy-makers understand the benefits associated with investing in nature conservation, and to make stakeholders aware of funding opportunities. Our work includes assessing how much money has been directed towards biodiversity protection and making recommendations to ensure that funding is adequate to meet biodiversity objectives.

IEEP has a broad range of experts in European funds, enabling us to develop detailed guidance on the opportunities for funding biodiversity conservation through these channels. This work includes the European Commission’s Financing Natura 2000 Guidance Handbook and other finance related guidance. We also analyse innovative financial instruments and approaches to enhance private sector financing of biodiversity, and funding biodiversity conservation in developing countries.

Our work has also supported the case for investing in nature conservation through researching the social and economic benefits and costs of investing in protected areas, including the Natura 2000 network.

Latest in Financing Biodiversity

  • High Nature Value farming throughout EU-27 and its financial support under the CAP

    This study reviews Member States’ estimates of the extent of HNV farmland and use of RDP measures and the CMEF indicators, then identifies future priorities for CAP support for HNV farming and discusses the support opportunities under the reformed CAP. It offers detailed new evidence about the combined effect of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 CAP payments on the economic and environmental viability of a typical HNV farming system in three Member States.

  • New report: High Nature Value Farming in the EU

    Member States need to make the most of the opportunities under the new Common Agricultural Policy if the declines in HNV farming, critical for meeting our 2020 biodiversity targets, are to be halted.