Chloe Hill’s scientific contributions

According to a 2019 United Nations report, of all the known species, up to 1 million face extinction globally. Despite being considered a pressing global risk with several international efforts to protect and to restore, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems continue at an alarming rate. In December 2022, the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) saw the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, where four overarching international goals for biodiversity and 23 targets were set. While this is a positive step towards addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss, we will need not just public and political will but also more effective methods to integrate and use scientific information to reach the goals and targets outlined. To facilitate this, scientists and research institutions need to establish alternative and new approaches to transform the way science is conducted, communicated, and integrated into the policymaking process. This will require the scientific community to become proficient at working in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, establishing connectivity across scientific disciplines and engaging in the policymaking process to ensure that the best available scientific evidence is not only comprehensible to decision-makers but also timely and relevant. This commentary details how scientists can embrace transformative change within and outside of their own communities to increase the impact of their research and help reach global targets that benefit society.

o Restoring forest ecosystems not only has the potential to enrich biodiversity, but also to mitigate climate change, support climate adaptation, mitigate the effects of droughts and floods, enhance water availability, improve water quality, reduce erosion, and lower avalanche induction. o Given their wide range of ecosystem services, the EGU Biodiversity Task Force strongly supports the restoration of forest ecosystems going beyond Natura 2000 sites. o To restore forest ecosystems effectively, a range of indicators needs be used in the Nature Restoration Law, including tree species diversity, and standing and lying deadwood. o The complexity associated with forest ecosystem restoration means that expert consultation will be required to ensure the measures implemented are effective.

Despite being considered one of the most pressing global issues, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems is continuing at an alarming rate. In December 2022, COP15 saw the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, where four overarching international goals for biodiversity and 23 targets. While these targets are a positive step to address the drivers of biodiversity loss, we will not only need public and political will to reach the goals and targets outlined but also more effective methods to integrate and use scientific information. To facilitate this, scientists and research institutions need to establish new and innovative approaches to transform the way science is conducted, communicated, and integrated into the policymaking process. This will require the scientific community to become proficient at working in inter and transdisciplinary teams, establishing connectivity, and engaging in the policymaking process to ensure that the best available scientific evidence is not only comprehensible to decision makers, but also timely and relevant. Here, we detail how scientists can embrace transformative change within and outside of their own communities to increase the impact of their research and help reach global targets that benefit society.

The EGU Biodiversity Task Force welcomes the ambitious targets outlined in the Nature Restoration Law that was presented by the European Commission on 22 June 2022. The Nature Restoration Law's binding targets to restore degraded terrestrial land and marine ecosystems across the EU is a positive step for biodiversity and will enable the EU to take a global leadership role in many aspects of societal and environmental sustainability. It serves as a timely and critically important blueprint for other regional bodies and countries to follow and enact. Meaningful, strong, and strategic actions on biodiversity are critical for our understanding of how different species respond to both past and future environmental change. The Nature Restoration Law comes at a critical moment when, despite EU and international efforts, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems continue at an alarming rate with up to 81% of habitats at the EU level in poor condition. The impacts of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss are not limited to the environment, affecting many essential, co-dependant components of life, society, and the economy. To ensure the Nature Restoration Law is successful, the EGU Biodiversity Task Force has outlined key points that should be added, amended, or strengthened throughout the document. The recommendations focus on Articles 4-11 from a scientific perspective. It is hoped that these recommendations will be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU when amending and adopting the proposed Nature Restoration Law.