Strengthening society’s engagement with nature

This briefing is underpinned by a report from the EEA’s European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (ETC BE). The report is based on a literature review and various detailed case studies that were compiled during 2023 and 2024.

The importance of protecting biodiversity

The ongoing focus on protecting and restoring nature is important for ensuring healthy ecosystems, a sustainable economy and human well-being. While challenges remain due to pressures from industrial activities and societal demands, political agreements like the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provide a framework for action. These need to be implemented through more concrete policy instruments, such as the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation, sectoral policies (e.g. the EU’s common agricultural policy) and the LULUCF Regulation.

Although past efforts have brought some success, broader trends indicate the need for more decisive action. In the EU, 81% of protected habitats, 39% of protected birds and 63% of other protected species are in a poor or bad state (EEA, 2020). Recognising the critical role biodiversity plays, the UN underscores its global importance by identifying its loss alongside climate change and pollution as the ‘triple planetary crisis’. The One Health concept, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), also highlights the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health. In response, the EEA is actively working across One Health dimensions in cooperation with other EU agencies: One Health | European Environment Agency's home page

An effective combination of government action as well as business and individual engagement is necessary to construct a future where biodiversity thrives alongside human development, re-building our connection to nature in a way that is mutually beneficial.

Addressing biodiversity loss through government action

A range of EEA publications and other reports have examined the factors that influence the effectiveness of government measures in supporting nature and environmental sustainability. The European Green Deal’s combination of environmental targets across policy areas exemplifies how coherence between agriculture, climate and nature conservation policies can be promoted. These approaches emphasise inclusivity, cross-sectoral integration and flexibility to address systemic interdependencies effectively (EEA, 2024b).

Progress is possible through integrated approaches, such as implementing agro-ecological principles in farming and achieving efficient resource use via a circular economy. These approaches value nature as a vital partner in addressing societal needs while minimising impacts. Initiatives highlighted in EEA’s briefings, such as Solutions for restoring Europe's agricultural ecosystems and the importance of restoring nature in Europe, demonstrate actionable steps to support conservation efforts across landscapes.

The EEA publications mentioned above underscore the importance of integrating nature-based solutions into societal and economic frameworks (EEA, 2024a). Figure 1 provides an overview of how different approaches can be combined to protect Europe’s environment.

Figure 1. Combining different policy approaches for protecting the environment and biodiversity

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Many government policies cannot be implemented without broad societal engagement to achieve their goals, including those for biodiversity. On the other hand, citizen and stakeholder engagement depends on support from a robust policy framework. This includes:

• Regulatory support: strengthening the implementation of laws on habitat protection, pollution control and resource use to enforce nature-positive practices.
• Economic incentives: redirecting subsidies and providing incentives for sustainable practices in sectors such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as shifts to more resource-efficient technology.
• Education and awareness: integrating biodiversity into educational curricula and public media campaigns to explain the importance of nature to young and old.
• Decentralised, polycentric governance: involving citizens and local or regional authorities in biodiversity policymaking to enable context-specific interventions.
• Monitoring and evaluation systems: citizen science and public monitoring of biodiversity trends are essential for successful ecosystem management and policy adjustments as challenges evolve.

A report by the European Topic Centre on Biodiversity and Ecosystems, Exploring the societal factors enabling to halt and reverse the loss and change of biodiversity (ETC BE, 2024), identified the cultural factors, societal barriers and success factors encouraging wider societal actions in support of nature. Its key outcomes are presented below.

Perspectives on the link between society and biodiversity

Human activities have developed to meet the growing demands of people and societies, focusing on providing large quantities of goods and services at the lowest cost possible. However, this often results in biodiversity loss as an unintended consequence (Nielsen et al., 2021). Living in a way that aligns with climate and biodiversity goals is a challenge for many given the structure of modern societies (Amel et al., 2017; Merz et al., 2023). Nevertheless, the engagement of citizens in nature conservation in Europe goes back over 100 years (EEA, 2022).

It is important to recognise that humans and nature have always been connected, and the nature of this relationship has evolved over time (IPBES, 2022). There are three primary ways humans perceive and value nature (e.g. EEA, 2021; IPBES, 2019, 2022; Bastien-Olvera et al., 2023).

1. Nature for nature: nature is valued for its intrinsic worth and what it does for ecosystems.
2. Nature for society: nature is valued for the benefits it provides to people, such as supporting agriculture, regulating the climate and enhancing human well-being.
3. Nature as culture: nature is valued for its cultural significance, including the emotional and historical connections individuals and communities have with the landscape and species.

Figure 2 shows how these different views of our relationship with nature translate into conceptual frameworks. The text on the connecting lines refers to the science-based view of nature and builds on the IPBES Central Framework (CF) label, both derived from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) (2019). The headings above the circles show the terms used in the literature and the 2019 IPBES assessment to describe the types of value associated with the three main perspectives.

Figure 2. Three perspectives on how humans perceive and value the role of nature

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The three perspectives on our relationship with nature are illustrated in Table 1 based on two concrete examples: forests and coastal habitats, such as estuaries and seagrass meadows.

Table 1. Three perspectives on our relationship with nature: forests and coastal habitats

One key concept that aims to provide a unified structure for understanding our relationship with nature is the idea of ecosystem services, first proposed by the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment. In continuation of this work, the EEA has supported the development of the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). This classification provides a system for identifying the different types of benefit that humans derive from nature in a structured manner.

Societal support for nature

Support for and engagement with nature by individual citizens or voluntary organisations has a long tradition, dating back more than 100 years (EEA, 2023). This engagement can take various active forms, such as dedicating personal time to monitoring biodiversity trends through citizen science surveys, volunteering at nature reserves, creating wildlife-friendly gardens or participating in clean-up actions. Citizens and businesses also contribute financially to nature conservation through memberships in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), donations to specific projects or the purchase of nature reserves.

Other activities that support nature indirectly include changes in consumption patterns. This can include buying organic food or nature-friendly meat from conservation projects, switching to renewable energy sources, and using electric cars and other environmental means of transport. Businesses, public authorities and citizens need to work together in this context.

This demonstrates that engagement with nature and environmental causes is not unusual or limited to specific groups. NGO membership numbers and other evidence show that there are many people in Europe, numbering in the millions overall, that already take action to support nature. The ETC BE report underpinning this briefing developed three case studies illustrating the kinds of collective engagement that can lead to conservation success.

How to engage a larger part of society in supporting nature?

While part of society is already engaged in nature conservation activities, there is a need for expanding the circle of people that join in on such actions. The ETC BE (2024) report has reviewed a wide range of case studies to identify factors that encourage wide and continued societal engagement in protecting nature. Seven key factors were identified:

1. Shared, vision-driven approach
A strategic approach that focuses on creating and communicating a shared vision among stakeholders and on fostering enthusiasm and alignment towards a common goal.

2. Informed citizenry
Engaging citizens with knowledge about biodiversity and sustainability to mobilise support, optimise impact, and navigate political and public spheres effectively.

3. Keeping the momentum
Maintaining motivation in long-term projects by breaking down goals into manageable stages, celebrating progress, and balancing challenges with achievability.

4. Clear and efficient collaboration
Establishing and maintaining effective frameworks within groups or networks by defining roles, managing relationships and ensuring respect for agreements.

5. Broad alliances
Forming partnerships among diverse stakeholders to pool resources and expertise, and amplifying efforts to tackle complex challenges and achieve shared goals.

6. Evidence-based decision-making
Using comprehensive, up-to-date data on biodiversity and ecosystem health to inform policies and strategies, ensuring decisions are effective and sustainable.

7. Sustainable funding
Securing financial resources to support biodiversity initiatives and promoting sustainability through environmental criteria in the retail chain and a clear return on investment.

Conclusion

This briefing reviewed how society’s engagement in support of nature can be strengthened. It summarises findings from the ETC BE report that analysed our cultural perceptions of nature, reviewed the elements influencing societal engagement, and proposed key factors for successful private sector action in support of biodiversity. Three case studies illustrate how an informed citizenry and NGO efforts can influence action by governments and broader society.

Successfully protecting biodiversity depends on our ability to understand how societal mindsets around nature are formed and transformed. This helps develop nature-focused perspectives that recognise our responsibility for preserving nature and its benefits for our health and well-being — as expressed in the integrated One Health approach.

Policy instruments for nature can have direct impacts (for example, bans on polluting activities) or indirect ones (for example, environmental education shifting societal perceptions).

Successfully protecting nature requires combining an integrated policy framework with more collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society.