Climate-smart rewilding: ecological restoration for climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity support in Europe
Total cost € 8 555 016,25
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101081251
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon research and innovation programme under grant agreement.
| Project ID: | 101081251 | Call: | HORIZON-CL5-2022-D1-02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programme: | HORIZON | DG/Agency: | CINEA |
Abstract
The European Union aims to reduce net carbon emissions by 55% in 2030, and become climate neutral by 2050.
These goals can only be met if it boosts carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems, preferably while fostering socio-environmental co-benefits such as conserving biodiversity, adapting to climate change, and safeguarding socio-economic and cultural values.
Both the IPCC and the IPBES have emphasised the great potential of ecosystem restoration and related nature-based solutions (NbS) for addressing the challenge.
wildE introduces ‘climate-smart rewilding’ as an innovative restoration approach to create climate benefits while also addressing other socio-environmental needs.
The project gathers a multi-disciplinary team of leading European experts to develop a research and innovation programme addressing the climate-biodiversity nexus in tight association with the socio-economic dimension of large-scale restoration.
The team will also project scenarios to assess Europe’s rewilding potentials under diverse land-use and climate change futures. wildE will
(i) generate comprehensive case-comparative data on European rewilding trends and outcomes,
(ii) quantify the net social, economic and environmental benefits, synergies and trade-offs related to rewilding and alternative land-use options;
(iii) develop cutting-edge projections for future land use and climate scenarios; and
(iv) develop tangible and readily accessible decision-support and management guidelines to enable policymakers, conservation managers, communities, and the private sector to co-construct climate-smart rewilding strategies as effective NbS for meeting the EU’s climate and biodiversity targets.
Embedded within an ambitious stakeholder engagement, communications programme, wildE research will enable climate-smart rewilding as operational large-scale NbS to effectively foster the natural capacity of Europe’s ecosystems for climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity support.
With 8 case studies across Europe, wildE will deliver scientific insights, methods and tools for different geographic, ecological and social contexts, in order to assist EU policy makers, national governments, regions, local communities and commercial companies in embedding rewilding-type ecological restoration in their policies and plans for achieving carbon neutrality, enhancing climate adaptation and reversing biodiversity loss.
Project information
Climate-smart rewilding: ecological restoration for climate change mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity support in Europe
Status: In progress
Start project: Jan 1, 2023
End project: Dec 31, 2026
Partners:
Institut national de recherche pour l’agriculture, l’alimentation et l’environnement (INRAE)
INRAE Transfert SAS
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
Oppla EEIG
University of Copenhagen
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales
European Forest Institute
Lund University
Associação BIOPOLIS
Institute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences
International Union for the Conservation of Nature EU Representative Office
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
Aarhus University
Antarr Sustainable Productive Forest, Sa
Biologische Station Westliches Ruhrgebiet e.V.
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen – KNAW
University of Galway
Coillte Teoranta
Sveaskog Förvaltnings AB
https://www.inrae.fr/actualites/lancement-du-projet-horizon-europe-wilde
https://www.idiv.de/en/news/news_single_view/4861.html
https://www.wur.nl/en/show/rewilding-for-climate-and-biodiversity.htm
Participants (21)
INRAE TRANSFERT SAS
France
Net EU contribution
€ 358 945,00
KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIE
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 865 350,00
OPPLA EEIG
Netherlands
Net EU contribution
€ 369 250,00
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET
Denmark
Net EU contribution
€ 498 495,00
HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 372 575,00
CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION ECOLOGICA Y APLICACIONES FORESTALES
Spain
Net EU contribution
€ 415 975,00
EUROPEAN FOREST INSTITUTE
Finland
Net EU contribution
€ 545 500,00
LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Sweden
Net EU contribution
€ 561 897,50
ASSOCIACAO BIOPOLIS
Portugal
Net EU contribution
€ 453 750,00
USTAV EKOLOGIE LESA SAV, V. V. I.
Slovakia
Net EU contribution
€ 146 375,00
UICN, BUREAU DE REPRESENTATION AUPRES DE L’UNION EUROPEENNE AISBL
Belgium
Net EU contribution
€ 201 700,00
MARTIN-LUTHER-UNIVERSITAT HALLE-WITTENBERG
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 654 405,00
CESKA ZEMEDELSKA UNIVERZITA V PRAZE
Czechia
Net EU contribution
€ 183 000,00
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Netherlands
Net EU contribution
€ 613 675,00
AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Denmark
Net EU contribution
€ 478 500,00
ANTARR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVE FOREST SA
Portugal
Net EU contribution
€ 52 875,00
TRAGERVEREIN BIOLOGISCHE STATION WESTLICHES RUHRGEBIET
Germany
Net EU contribution
€ 60 622,50
KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN – KNAW
Netherlands
Net EU contribution
€ 515 500,00
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAY
Ireland
Net EU contribution
€ 285 875,00
COILLTE TEORANTA
Ireland
Net EU contribution
€ 52 875,00
SVEASKOG FORVALTNINGS AB
Sweden
Net EU contribution
€ 56 000,00