As EU Member States will soon be asked to draw national plans for the restoration of nature Ioli Christopoulou, in her article titled “Nature restoration: A new area of action for sustainable development”, highlights the importance of nature restoration as a distinct area of action for sustainable development, mapping the benefits not only for threatened ecosystems but also for the society and the economy.
She stressed that many sectors of the economy, such as the pharmaceutical industry and tourism, are benefiting from nature, and she referred to reports estimating the cost of the ecological crisis for both the global and national economies.
She then gave examples of the often overlooked ecological, social and economic benefits of restoring natural areas, which, oftentimes, act synergistically. She further emphasized the fact that the benefits far outweigh the restoration costs, the latter having the additional benefit of creating new jobs that will support local communities.
The op-ed was published in EFSYN’s special edition on Sustainable Development, edited by Giorgos Alexakis, journalist, on November 26, 2022.
It is available at EFSYN’s website
