COSTING THE EARTH? Translating the

Ecosystem Services Conceptinto Practical Decision Making

Marko PomenrantsMinister of the Environment

10.05.2017

2020 headline target

Halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem

services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as

feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global

biodiversity loss.

EU Biodiversity Strategy

By 2020, ecosystems and their services are

maintained and enhanced

by establishing green infrastructure

and restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems

EU Biodiversity Strategy

TARGET 2

maintain and restore

ecosystems and their services

2020 Headline Target: no significant progress

• Overall, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU have continued.

• While many local successes demonstrate that action on theground delivers positive outcomes, these examples need tobe scaled up to have a measurable impact on the overallnegative trends.

EU Biodiversity StrategyEuropean Commissionmid-term review (2015)

Target 2: insufficient progress

• Progress has been made on policy & knowledge improvementactions under this target, and some restoration activities havetaken place in MS.

• However, this has not yet halted the trend of degradation ofecosystems and services.

• National and regional frameworks to promote restoration andgreen infrastructure need to be developed and implemented.

EU Biodiversity StrategyEuropean Commissionmid-term review (2015)

Nature Conservation Development Plan 2020

evaluate the condition of ecossytems

and map out related goods & services by 2018

ESTONIAmapping ecosystem

services

Development of Methods for Assessment and Mappingof Ecosystem Services of Marine and Inland Waters

Project duration: July 2014 – March 2016

ESTONIAmapping ecosystem

services

Essential Tools for Integrating Socio-Economic and Climate Change Datainto Assessing and Forecasting Biodiversity Status, and Ensuring Data Availability

Project duration: January 2015 – December 2023

ESTONIAmapping ecosystem

services

Baltic LIFE project “VivaGrass” => Integrated Planning Tool

ESTONIAprotection & restorationsemi-natural grasslands

ESTONIAenvironmental awareness

ESTONIAenvironmental awareness

51% under forest cover

metsapilt – loodusfoto konkurss

24-26 October 2017 Tallinn, Estonia

Nature-based Solutions: From Innovation to Common-Use

• blue-green infrastructure in smart cities

• nature inspired material science

• integrated water treatment via natural systems

• ecosystem protection & ICT

• ecological restoration through eco-innovation

ECO-INNOVATION FOCUS

URBANCOWS Restoration and Public Accessof Urban Coastal Meadow Complex in Pärnu, Estonia

Thank you!