Natural bridge between the EU and LAC: a study on nature-based solutions

The Commission has published a report on the state of play of the nature-based solutions (NbS) in the European Union and in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report prepared by a team of independent experts examines the current landscape, from policies to practices across both regions. NbS are vital in addressing the biodiversity and climate crises as they offer a comprehensive approach to mitigating and adapting to climate change, while restoring ecosystems, boosting resilience, and supporting both biodiversity and human well-being.

Both regions have a rich experience in this area and NbS have also emerged as one of the key cooperation areas between the EU and LAC during the latest meeting of the senior officials from both regions, which took place in Brussels in November 2023. Both the EU and LAC are heavily urbanised (75% and 81%, respectively) and face similar challenges, such as urban sprawl, ecosystem degradation, and natural resource exploitation that result in a heightened vulnerability and damage.

In June 2024, the European Commission hosted the first bi-regional policy dialogue on nature-based solutions, which welcomed delegates from across the EU and LAC, uniting policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in addressing shared environmental challenges. The publication of this latest study thus follows on the dedicated NbS dialogue started in June 2024 and provides a much-needed overview of the NbS landscape in the EU and LAC. Strategic pathways for collaboration are identified by the authors and possible cooperation opportunities are outlined across five major ecosystems: agriculture, forests, coasts and marine ecosystems, freshwater and urban environments, each presenting case studies and supporting policy instruments.

Background

The 2023 EU-CELAC Summit Declaration and the joint communication on the New Agenda to strengthen the EU-LAC partnership highlight the strategic significance of cooperating on green transition priorities, which include NbS. Furthermore, the EU-CELAC 2021-2023 Strategic Roadmap for Research and Innovation positions NbS as a core element for long-term collaboration. This focus was reinforced when senior officials from both regions, hosted by the European Commission in Brussels in November 2023, called for a bi-regional Policy Dialogue on NbS, and with the first bi-regional NbS conference taking place in Brussels, uniting policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to explore collaborative solutions to shared environmental challenges.

In this context and in support of policymakers and the NbS community on both sides of the Atlantic, this report has been developed to provide a strategic overview of the current NbS landscape in LAC and Europe and lay the groundwork for future research, bi-directional knowledge-sharing, and collaborative efforts.

More information

International cooperation with Latin America and Caribbean

Report: Bridging continents

Nature-based solutions