Our nature targets: why and how?

Background and request for advice

Nature and biodiversity are important to Dutch society. As many as 59% of people consider themselves nature lovers, and 77% of the population in the Netherlands are concerned about the deterioration of nature. And yet, despite the value attached to nature, there is a lack of urgency when it comes to nature policy. Political issues such as housing, health care and climate are considered more important than nature conservation and biodiversity. For many years, nature conservation and restoration targets have been a low priority for politicians. Back in the 1990s, the Netherlands was still pursuing ambitious nature policies, to the point that it was the driving force behind the European Habitats Directive and Natura 2000. Since then, politicians have increasingly come to see nature as an obstacle to economic development and a constraint imposed by Europe. The current Dutch nature policy is highly technocratic and fragmented in terms of both content and governance.

Meanwhile, nature in the Netherlands is in structural decline. Both the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report (2023) and Naturalis’ Status Report on Dutch Biodiversity (2025) present alarming figures on the dire situation of protected species and habitats in the Netherlands. For example, 45% of protected species are on the Red List, and 90% of habitats from the European Birds and Habitats Directives have a moderate to very poor conservation status. This is a problem – not just for nature but, most importantly, for us. We humans need nature. Among other things, we need nature to produce raw materials for industry, such as wood and flax. We also need nature to pollinate our crops, for clean air and to regulate water storage and drainage in the context of climate adaptation. And finally, we need nature for our mental and physical well-being as a place for sports, recreation and inspiration. These are just some examples of the producing, regulating and cultural services nature offers us. In short, a healthy natural environment is essential for a prosperous and future-proof society.

It is time to reverse the downward trajectory that nature is facing. In this advisory report, we answer the question: What is needed to give a new impetus to how we as a society take care of our natural environment?

To do this, we ask two sub-questions:

• How can different value perspectives on nature (intrinsic, instrumental and relational) contribute to a new nature conservation narrative for the Netherlands?
• What opportunities do the Birds and Habitats Directives and Nature Restoration Law offer to achieve Dutch nature conservation targets, and how can the Netherlands adopt a constructive approach to the perceived or actual limitations imposed by these legal frameworks?

Schedule

The advisory report is expected to be published in autumn 2026.

Composition of the Council committee

Jeroen Niemans, Council committee chair and Council member
Jeanet van Antwerpen, Council member
Eva van Genuchten, junior Council member