Sensor - Sustainability Impact Assessment: Tools for ENvironmental, Social and EcOnomic Effects of Multifunctional Land Use in European Regions
SENSOR is an aid to decision making, with a particular focus on the impact of EU policy upon multifunctional land use. The project was accomplished for the European Commission DG Research, 6th Framework Programme - via ZALF.

Summary

Time frame: December 2004 - March 2007

Scenar 2020 - Scenario study on agriculture and the rural world
The study "Scenar 2020 - Scenario study on agriculture and the rural world" is about understanding change for the period until 2020.

It identifies the impact of the main driving forces on agriculture and rural regions such as population, economic change, agricultural markets and environmental conditions as well as the CAP. It draws far reaching and differentiated conclusions on the challenges for European agriculture and rural areas. Scenar 2020 provides a thorough basis for discussions on the future of agriculture and rural regions in the EU for the coming years. The study identifies the impact of the CAP on agriculture and rural regions in three scenarios and demonstrates the differentiated impact of these changes, for example on the marginalisation of rural regions, changes in land use and agricultural production, the structural adjustment of agriculture within the regional context as well as the corresponding environmental implications. Moreover, the study identifies major opportunities and challenges for agriculture and rural areas. These consist of the impact of new products such as renewable energy, new opportunities on world markets as well as structural change and changing environmental conditions in parts of the EU. The evolving situation in the labour and land markets will play a major role in agricultural change and its regional dimension.

This twelve-month study was carried out by the European Centre for Nature Conservation, Landbouw-Economisch Instituut, the Leibnitz-Zentrum für Agrarlandforschung, Leibnitz Institut für Länderkunde, the Central European University and the European Landowners Organisation. The study was reviewed in-depth by six independent experts during two workshops.

The study can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/publi/reports/scenar2020/index_en.htm.

Read here an article in 'Agra Europe', a publication in the field of business and finance offering news and analysis about the European agriculture industry.

Promoting Biodiversity Awareness within Financial Institutions
A focus on pro-biodiversity business investment
The European Task Force on Banking, Business and Biodiversity has as a focus the encouragement of pro-biodiversity business investments in Eastern and Central Europe and the Caucuses; the Task Force is favourable to the principal of targeted support for these investments from the major European financial institutions. This is in line with the Kyiv resolution on Financing Biodiversity, which calls for the establishment of Biodiversity Financing Facilities through which the major European banks will work directly with local financial intermediaries to encourage the establishment of biodiversity-related business enterprises. 

The business case for biodiversity investment has been made (IUCN/WBCSD, 2004), a technical assistance structure to support biodiversity investment has been proposed (EBRD, 2005), and the Terms of Reference for launching this structure has been developed (ECNC, 2005). The immediate objective is to provide for capacity development in local enterprises and financial intermediaries, so that pro-biodiversity business investments take place. This is the purpose of creating a Biodiversity Technical Assistance Facility (BTAF), which will be geared to developing entrepreneurial potential in the targeted countries.

The importance of financial intermediaries at the national level
Part of the pump-priming exercise must also, however, be in terms of preparing the financial intermediaries to work with the international financial institutions (eg., EIB, EBRD) and the larger banks having international operations (Deutsche Bank, Rabobank Nederland). It is the local financial intermediaries that are the best placed to have a pro-active role to encourage pro-biodiversity business ventures. They are the ones who can make targeted individual loans available on the basis of the global loans that the larger financial institutions can provide. They are the ones who will perform the due diligence on the feasibility of all investment proposals received, and who are able to obtain and process the personal details for assessing the credit-worthiness of potential investors.

If local financial intermediaries are not prepared for seeking out and pushing forward pro-biodiversity business opportunities, or if they have an unreasonable appreciation of the nature of the risks involved, then their unwillingness to follow up on the availability of international financial support will effectively jeopardize any effort to stimulate pro-biodiversity business operations, even if this effort is made at a European level.

Filling the gap while the BTAF is being set up
Although one of the purposes of a Biodiversity Technical Assistance Facility is to provide such capacity building for local financial intermediaries, the interest of European banks to work with local financial intermediaries on promoting pro-biodiversity business is now maturing even before the establishment of the BTAF. The difficulty encountered turns out to be, however, the identification local financial intermediaries in EECCA countries that are prepared to become involved. This difficulty discourages the establishment of a Biodiversity Financing Facility (BFF) by a bank.

An immediate need, therefore, is to begin to involve managers of financial establishments operating at the national level with the whole concept of pro-biodiversity business investment that has been developed by the European Task Force on Banking, Business and Biodiversity. This need became apparent in the recent meeting of the European Task Force on Banking, Business and Biodiversity, hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on November 3rd, 2005, in London. Both the EBRD and EIB are beginning to work with local banks in eastern countries, and their experience has been that the managers of local financial institutions become truly interested in making an additional effort to adapt to the specific constraints of biodiversity-related investments; but there is an information effort to be made up-front to gain their commitment.

A prototype capacity building opportunity for EECCA bank managers
Thus a priority in the Task Force is to bring these EECCA financial establishments into the EBRI (European Biodiversity Resourcing Initiative) framework, and this exercise in capacity building requires an awareness raising and training component. For this reason ECNC has organizes a pilot seminar for managers of selected financial establishments – which would familiarise them with the BTAF programme. This seminar was held place in Zagreb, with the logistical support of UNDP and the financial support of the Swiss government. Both the business case for biodiversity and BFF / BTAF operations were explained to an audience of 40 bankers and a few representatives of government agencies and NGOs.

The primary outcome of the seminar has been a common understanding of what pro-biodiversity business opportunities are all about as well as the European framework being developed – because of EBRI – to provide financial support for such a line of investment in the EECCA region. The secondary outcome has been the development of a prototype seminar format for awareness raising that can be implemented on successive occasions by the Biodiversity Technical Assistance Facility once it is in operation.

Biodiversity and the Food Sector
An initial review of the extent to which biodiversity is protected through food standards in Europe

Whilst European food standards are well established in ensuring quality and health, it is only recently, probably since the debate on biotechnology and genetically modified foods that biodiversity in food production has received a higher profile. This report is part of an ECNC project that investigates if and how biodiversity receives protection via food standards. It aims to provide an initial review for exploring the concept of biodiversity and food standards in order to assess possibilities for further development in this field. The ultimate aim is to increase the understanding of stakeholders in the food sector of their action on nature and biodiversity by contributing to the integration of nature and biological diversity into food sector policies and programmes.

This report is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of The Netherlands. May we take this opportunity to thank the Ministry for their support.

EBRI 2: Putting commitment into practice
The leading principle of the second phase of the European Biodiversity Resourcing Initiative (EBRI) was 'putting commitment into practice', and was initiated in December 2002. The purpose was to make available information, expertise and project-related experience to potential entrepreneurs in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA). The means that were worked on include the setting up of norms and criteria for the development of a biodiversity project portfolio, awareness raising, information transfer and training. In addition, a European Task Force on Banking, Business and Biodiversity was established. For additional information, please go to the Biodiversity Financing CHM: www.strategyguide.org/straebri.html, or download the final report, EBRI 2: Putting Commitment into Practice.
Project coordinator: Peter Nowicki
Donors and technical support: Financial support came from the Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape, the Ministry of Environment and Rural Development of Hungary, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of the Netherlands, Rabobank Nederland, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom and the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Europe. The meetings of the European Task Force on Banking, Business and Biodiversity were hosted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Return in investment in Europe's green environment
Objective: To explore the range and applications for the green investment market in the field of biodiversity conservation in Europe.
Project coordinator: Peter Nowicki
Donor: Rabobank, the Netherlands

European Biodiversity Resourcing Initiative (Phase 1)
Objective: To develop a strategic and operational approach to ensure adequate resources for European biodiversity, including PEBLDS.
Document: Project description and workshops; Potential Funding Sources for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Project coordinator: Peter Nowicki
Donors: Swiss Agency for Environment, Forests and Landscape; Council of Europe; UNEP; Dutch Ministry of ANF

Raising awareness in stakeholders and the international community on the importance of multifunctional agriculture for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
Aimed at raising awareness and creating a better understanding among stakeholders and the international community of the linkages between agriculture, agricultural socio-economic components and biodiversity, a workshop was held in March 2001. Attended by more than 70 participants, the implementation of concrete management practices to enhance biodiversity conservation was one of the key issues of debate. A peer-review group also contributed to the project and, in particular, to the final publication.
Funding: European Commission-Directorate General on Environment, English Nature, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries-Department of Nature Management, ECNC core funding
Partners: IEEP (London, UK), Agricultural Economics Research Institute (the Netherlands), Flemish Institute of Nature Conservation (Belgium), Institute of Environmental Protection (Poland), UNEP-ROE, Centro de Investigaciones Ambientales de la Comunidad de Madrid (CIAM) (Spain), European Sustainable Use Specialist Group of IUCN/SSC (Belgium), Expertise Centre of ANF (the Netherlands)

Business and biodiversity: stimulating positive linkages
Review of increasing business sector involvement in biodiversity investments and CBD and PEBLDS policies via direct consultation, case studies and inclusion of recommendations for business and biodiversity in papers for the Budapest Conference in February 2002.
Funding: ECNC core funding, Rabobank Nederland
Partners: Fauna-Flora International, and the UK Government

Development of European policy framework and action plan on globalization, ecology and economy
A full review and gap analyses of the position of biodiversity in policies, programmes and instruments addressing globalization, ecology and economy took place. The outcome and recommendation for follow-up were reported to the PEBLDS Bureau.
Funding: Programme allocation Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, in kind contribution from UNEP-ROE
Partners: UNEP-ROE and UN-ECE, together with Globus of Tilburg University (the Netherlands)

Agriculture and biodiversity: work on the Convention on Biological Diversity and the COP
Objective: To raise awareness among stakeholders and international communities on the importance of agriculture and agricultural practices for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
Document: Project description
Project coordinator: Catherine Cassagne
Donors: European Commission-DG Environment, English Nature, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries

Enhancement of biodiversity conservation potential of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Objective: To establish a clear working relationship with the EBRD in order to define criteria which would enhance the EBRD's procedures for dealing with biodiversity conservation and provide a basis for a long-term role in advising on the bankability of biodiversity conservation investments. Attendance at Environmental Advisory Council meetings and on Bank's Transition Indicators Working Group (TIWG).
Project coordinators: Sandra Rientjes and Graham Drucker 

Enhancement of biodiversity conservation potential of the European Investment Bank (EIB)
Objective: To establish a clear working relationship with the EIB in order to define criteria which would enhance the EIB's procedures for dealing with biodiversity conservation. The short-term results of this will be to improve the EIB's understanding of biodiversity issues and the scope for EIB activity in relation to biodiversity in the context of EC policies and nature conservation, and to identify desirable changes in EIB policy and procedure which would result in improved performance in biodiversity-conservation related matters.
Project coordinator: Graham Drucker

International Conference: Innovative Financing Opportunities for European Biodiversity - towards implementing the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy
Summary: To facilitate the implementation of the Strategy, ECNC - under the auspices of the Council of Europe and UNEP - organized this international conference on innovative financing mechanisms for European biodiversity. The conference aims:

•  to introduce the Strategy to organizations interested in financing or investing in conservation and restoration of the natural environment and the countryside;
• to consult representatives of prominent commercial enterprise, banking, national lotteries, charities, investment and aid programmes of national governments and multilateral donors on their practical applications and views concerning the Strategy and the available funding mechanisms;
• to highlight how economically viable investment initiatives can support nature and the countryside;
• to develop a joint response to support the guiding and coordinating principles of the Strategy in the form of a Declaration and steps towards practical action.

Documents: Announcement, Brabant Declaration, proceedings
Project officer: Graham Drucker

Overview paper on the environmental benefits from agriculture in Europe
Summary: This text was prepared for an OECD international seminar (September 1996 in Helsinki) on agriculture-and-environment issues, in particular with regard to trade liberalization. It is a review of the diverse environmental benefits from agriculture, including soil and water protection, landscape, biodiversity and natural habitats. It addresses the following items: How the benefits vary across OECD countries and farming systems; to what extent these benefits are sustainable and linked with farming practices; to what extent the benefits are associated with agriculture as such, compared with other land-use activities; and how environmental benefits are linked to agricultural policies.

Towards building blocks for an EC action plan for the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity
The European project 'Towards building blocks for an EC action plan for the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity' aimed to provide independent support to the development of the EC Agricultural Action Plan on Biodiversity, under the European Community Biodiversity Strategy.
Copies of the Final Report - published in May 2000 - can be ordered from the ECNC Secretariat.
Time frame: October 1999 - April 2000