Mainstreaming biodiversity across policy sectors
Decisions made in one policy area can have significant impacts on another. Incentives for increased renewable energy, for example, can lead to land-use changes that convert forests into agricultural land for biofuels. Tree planting schemes undertaken for emission capture can harm biodiversity if they prioritise monoculture. Robust joined-up policies and actions across all sectors are therefore needed if we are to effectively protect biodiversity. The EU funded BIONEXT(opens in new window) project is aiming to provide decision makers with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively counteract biodiversity decline.
Policies to support biodiversity protection
The project has gathered case studies(opens in new window) from around the world to identify transformative policies that support biodiversity protection. These case studies range from mangrove restoration in Guyana to the restoration of peatlands in the Netherlands. “Analysis of this resource provides real-life examples of what makes transformative changes happen,” explains BIONEXT project coordinator Anna-Stiina Heiskanen from the Finnish Environment Institute(opens in new window). Four workshops were organised to co-design desirable futures and just transition pathways. The aim of this was to produce broadly supported and actionable policy options that promote nature-positive transformative change. Building on this work, BIONEXT is currently working on a tool designed to make these options accessible to policymakers. Once built, the Pathways app will enable decision makers, stakeholders and practitioners to better understand the transformative potential of their policy proposals and to design and implement holistic and coherent policies and actions across sectors and societies. “The BIONEXT project will produce alternative visions and pathways, aiming to help policymakers to plan policies and actions,” says Heiskanen. “Policymakers will be able to design and implement holistic and coherent policies.”
Coordination between science and policy
The project’s research supports the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services(opens in new window) (IPBES). This independent, intergovernmental body aims to strengthen coordination between science and policy in the fields of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Members of the BIONEXT consortium extracted evidence from 194 peer-reviewed articles to assess(opens in new window) how biodiversity is influencing – and being influenced by – policy areas such as food, water, energy, transport and health. The research found substantial damage being inflicted on nature by human activities, including habitat destruction for the expansion of food production, river fragmentation due to dams and reservoirs related to hydropower, and agricultural intensification affecting habitat quality. This analysis supported the IPBES global biodiversity nexus report(opens in new window), which is read by governments and stakeholders worldwide. “We hope that our ongoing work will be useful for future IPBES reports,” adds Heiskanen.
Integrating biodiversity into all areas of governance
Though the project is due for completion in August 2026, the BIONEXT consortium will continue to publish scientific(opens in new window) papers and reports based on its analyses, and build the tools and databases needed to ensure sustainability. The project has already organised three workshops, bringing together dozens of stakeholders from different fields of science to shape pathways of transformative change. A final workshop is due to take place in May 2026. “By contributing to IPBES knowledge needs and supporting EU policy development, the BIONEXT project is helping to strengthen the long-term capacity of European institutions to integrate biodiversity into different areas of policy,” says Heiskanen.
