Story 19 Mar, 2026

IUCN recommendations for National Restoration Planning: Insights from France

IUCN Europe together with the IUCN French Committee supported the French Ministry of Ecological Transition in designing its first National Restoration plan. The project generated practical insights that have been translated into policy recommendations for restoration practitioners and other Member States.

Photo: Communautés de communes Cingal-Suisse Normande

Background

Europe’s ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure. Climate change, land degradation and unsustainable practices are weakening the natural systems that store carbon, regulate water and protect communities from extreme events. As climate change accelerates, restoring nature has become not just an environmental priority, but a societal necessity. Against this backdrop, the European Union adopted the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) in 2024 - an ambitious framework requiring all Member States to restore degraded ecosystems at scale.

France, like all EU countries, must submit its first National Restoration Plan (NRP) to the European Commission by September 2026. The plan will define targets and measures to restore degraded ecosystems, prioritising those with high potential for:

Carbon capture and storage

Climate adaptation

Disaster risk reduction

France received support from the EU Technical Support Instrument (TSI) to prepare its first NRP. The technical support was provided through a project led by IUCN EURO and funded by the European Union via the TSI, managed by the European Commission Reform and Investment Task Force (SG REFORM).

Restoring nature in the context of climate change

Over the course of eighteen months, IUCN EURO together with the IUCN French Committee supported the French Ministry of Ecological Transition to:

identify restoration measures with strong climate change adaptation and mitigation co-benefits

assess the socioeconomic impacts, benefits and costs of these measures

estimate funding needs and explore financing options

IUCN directly consulted about 200 experts and stakeholders across sectors and ecosystems. The project’s final event, held in Paris on 20 January 2026, brought together French experts, stakeholders, and local authorities - who will play a central role in implementing the NRP - to discuss the project’s insights and recommendations.

The project’s key findings are presented in the dedicated results brochure (French version), designed to support not only France but also other Member States and restoration practitioners.

Download the project results brochure

English | French

Policy insights from the French NRP project

Natural carbon sinks are declining, which makes nature restoration even more urgent.
Forests, grasslands, cropland soils, wetlands are storing carbon, but these carbon sinks are declining due to climate change and human induced practices and degradation.
Restoration must go hand in hand with emission and pressure reductions.
Restoring ecosystems is not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Both must advance together to relieve pressure on natural systems.
Restoration requires a global perspective.
Efforts must avoid shifting environmental impacts abroad - for example, by importing products that degrade ecosystems in other countries.
Thirty-two "no-regret" restoration measures have been identified.
These measures - covering agricultural lands, grasslands, forests, wetlands, and river ecosystems - offer strong climate mitigation and adaptation benefits and should be prioritized to increase ecosystems' resilience.
Nature provides immense benefits, but they remain undervalued.
France's Efese assessment has documented ecosystem services extensively, yet these benefits are still insufficiently integrated into socioeconomic analyses and decision-making.
Some restoration measures may reduce short-term income but increase long-term resilience.
For example, continuous cover forestry may yield less revenue initially, compared to clear-cut systems, but it provides more stable and less risky returns over time.
Restoration creates jobs and supports local economies.
Ecological engineering, tourism-related natural area management, and maintenance work all benefit from implementing restoration measures. Short supply chains should be promoted wherever possible.
Restoration costs vary widely and must be better documented.
Costs depend on ecosystem type, local conditions, and the nature of the intervention. Providing an estimate at the ecosystem scale is not straightforward, however, orders of magnitude can be provided based on the literature and existing feedback. The NRP's implementation will be an opportunity to systematically collect cost and benefit data to guide future action.
Without a substantial increase in both public and private financing, restoration objectives cannot be achieved.
Improving the ecological criteria of public spending and redirecting harmful subsidies is essential. The greatest leverage for private finance lies in steering investments away from activities harmful to biodiversity.
Local and regional authorities need adequate resources.
Their role is pivotal, and they must be equipped with both funding and technical support to implement restoration measures effectively.

Looking Ahead

Restoring nature is one of the most powerful tools we have to confront climate change, protect biodiversity, and strengthen the resilience of our societies. By combining scientific knowledge, stakeholder engagement, and long-term investment, France and the EU as a whole can rebuild ecosystems that are healthier, more resilient, and better prepared for the challenges ahead.