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Green Infrastructure – Enhancing Europe's Natural Capital
Relevance for Cohesion Policy
Marco Fritz ENV.B.2, Biodiversity
ENEA-MA Working Group on Biodiversity in 2014-2020 Operational ProgrammesAll (c) belong to the authors of the used material. 05/06/2013
Green Infrastructure: What is it?
• Green infrastructure is a strategically planned and delivered network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates high quality green spaces in urban, peri-urban and rural areas, designed and managed as a multifunctional resource.
• Contribution to Europe 2020 Strategy: promoting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth – supporting a shift towards a resource efficient, low-carbon, sustainable economy by investing in our natural capital.
Spatial structure delivering nature benefits to people
Why is the Commission acting?
• Commitments in the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and the Roadmap to resource efficiency to come forward with a strategy on Green Infrastructure (GI).
• Council and EP mandate to develop a GI strategy, "as contribution to further integrating biodiversity considerations into other EU policies"
• Communication on "Green Infrastructure (GI) –Enhancing Europe's Natural Capital" adopted by College on 6 May 2013
• >> policy signal towards decision makers, planners and promoters to invest in GI projects at local, regional, national and cross-boundary level.
• Short description of what Green Infrastructure is• Contribution of GI to a number of key policy areas:
regional development, climate change, disaster prevention and resilience, agriculture, forestry, urban, water, and biodiversity protection and enhancement
• Why EU action? Priorities at EU level:• Promote the deployment of GI in main policy areas
and their funding mechanisms (integrate into implementation + guidance, awareness raising, best practices)
• Improve knowledge base and promote innovation• Better access to finance (including innovative
mechanisms)• Assess opportunities for TEN-G
What is the GI Strategy about?
• Explanations on components of GI• Range of GI benefits• Cost-efficiency • EU-level policies and instruments• Scales and roles on different levels• Examples of GI in all MS
Technical information
Further material
• Communication helps on GI• GI-related guidance• Background studies and EEA reports on GI• Information depository
EU
Fin
anci
ng
po
ssib
iliti
esStructural Funds (the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund) Cohesion Fund
GRABSGreen and blue space adaptation for urban areas and eco towns
SURFGreen Infrastructure: Sustainable Investments for the Benefitof Both People and Nature
CAP FundingHD Art. 10 programs, High Nature Value Farmlandafter reform: ecological focus areas, landscape structures
LIFE+Brochure with 65 project examples from 17 MS
+ Non-EU funding (governments, EIB, private banks, developers and civil society)
OP/PA: GI in thematic priorities: synergies (1)
• (1) strengthening research, technological development and innovation:
• Green Infrastructure has a large innovation potential, such as for energy efficiency solutions when applying green roofs and walls.
• (3) enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs:
• Particular SMEs would play a fundamental role for regional and local GI solutions.
• (4) supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors:
• Investing in Green Infrastructure in urban areas could be part of a low-carbon strategy and would include initiatives such as green roofs, green spaces, low energy water purification, use of grey water. Greening cities
reduces energy use, and provides significant health and social benefits.
OP/PA: GI in thematic priorities: synergies (2)
• (5) promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management:
• (a) supporting dedicated investment for adaptation to climate change;
• (b) promoting investment to address specific risks, ensuring disaster resilience and developing disaster management systems;
• (6) protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency:
• (b) addressing the significant needs for investment in the water sector to meet the requirements of the environmental acquis;
• (c) protecting, promoting and developing cultural heritage;
• (d) protecting biodiversity, soil protection and promoting ecosystem services including NATURA 2000 and green infrastructures;
• (e) action to improve the urban environment, including regeneration of brownfield sites and reduction of air pollution;
OP/PA: GI in thematic priorities: synergies (3)
• (7) promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures:
• innovative solutions on planning and implementing new transport infrastructure by minimising fragmentation (routing with minimalenvironmental impact, ecoducts, improving ecosystem functions along the
road track – such as minimisation of CO2 and protection against natural disasters).
• (9) promoting social inclusion and combating poverty:
• Regeneration projects in deprived urban, peri-urban and rural communities - green spaces, green roofs create a better environment-
better for health (noise control, less heat, less particulate pollution). Effects of pollution etc hit low income groups more. Green infrastructure (a public good) compensates for these inequalities.
• (10) training + (11) capacity building
GI in urban development
©: known to EC
• Link with integrated sustainable urban development in 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy
• Importance of promoting GI solutions in Urban Environment (Thematic Strategy on urban Environment)
• Making space for ecosystems; strengthening the functionality of ecosystems for delivering goods and services, such as provision of clean water and air, water
retention, attractive recreational areas
• Mitigating and adapting to climate change effects
• Health-related and social benefits
• Cost-effective solutions (e.g. air cooling, flood control)
• Connecting urban, peri-urban, and rural areas
GI guidanceThe Commission will develop
technical guidance setting out how
Green Infrastructure will be integrated into the
implementation of the main policies
and their associated funding mechanisms
from 2014 to 2020
•Already available:
• Better environmental options for flood risk management
• Natural water retention measures (link to adaptation)
• Integration of biodiversity and climate change into SEA and EIA
• Connecting Smart and Sustainable Growth through Smart Specialisation
•Next upcoming guidance:
• Smart guide to multi-benefit investments
