ReSET Biodiversity

Objective and expected benefits: Ecosystems are protected along with their essential resources for human and non-human life. In urban areas, abundant vegetation provides cooling, water drainage, carbon emission offset, reduces air and noise pollution, and provides positive psychological effects. These benefits are protected so that future generations will be able to enjoy them, just as we do now.

How to reach the objectives:

• Establish more protected areas and parks, not only in ‘natural’ areas but also in valley bottoms and anthropised areas, as well as implement, restore or/and enhance ecological connections between them
• Support renaturation/rewilding schemes, also in urban areas 
• Adopt biodiversity-friendly low-input and low-impact practices in agriculture
• Reintroduce displaced species (where appropriate, e.g. ibex, bearded vulture). Address the root causes of species’ extinction and displacement, and provide environments that favour the natural return of species’ 
• Monitor biodiversity and other ecosystem relevant parameters (see EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030)
• Support networks, practitioners, and associations striving to protect ecosystems (e.g. Platform Biodiversity, Baumgart)
• Ensure and restore soil health
• Enhance Biodiversity on Working Lands
• Establish a network of “old-growth” forest reserves, and provide adequate protection
• Provide more rigorous regulation on new constructions in natural and alpine areas. Require new construction activities to adapt to the landscape, maintaining open spaces and ecological connections. 
• Identify sensitive areas and define their importance for biodiversity. Provide more rigorous regulations/limitation on the extension or construction of chairlifts and ski infrastructure in such areas. 
• Prevent illegal discharges of water for private use
• Provide education and awareness-raising programs in schools
• Examples from other places: Wildruhezonen Schweiz

Objective and expected benefits: The rate of species extinction is slowed or stopped, and genetic diversity is preserved. Thereby, species and habitats are more resilient against diseases and other stressors.

How to reach the objectives:

• Identify specific extinction risks by means of the Red Lists
• Increase cooperation on the Reporting of the Habitat Directive 
• Enforce species and habitat protection through special programs (e.g. threatened species, ecosystem health, habitat conservation)
• Introduce better laws and (more efficient) controls
• Ban pollutants (even if there is a low risk known)
• Increasing the proportion of semi-natural habitats in agricultural areas (e.g. field margins, ditch banks, hedgerows) 
• Support and expand organic and extensive farming 
• Increase extensive livestock production 
• Preserve water quality
• Preserve of natural and semi-natural habitats
• Provide protection against invasive species (incl. monitoring)
• Use of seeds of local origin in renaturation projects and for pollinator-attracting varieties (especially in public spaces)
• Promote forest diversification to increase resilience to extreme events and disturbances
• Support bees and other pollinators’ projects (for natural and artificial green spaces)
• Introduce Wildlife Quiet Areas
• Increase ecological connectivity to allow for genetic exchange (e.g. green bridges, underpasses on critical road sections)
• Examples from other places: Wildruhezonen Schweiz

Objective and expected benefits: The needs for both nature and humans to thrive are balanced in well-managed urban, rural and ‘natural’ areas. Humans and wildlife coexist without conflict (or conflicts are mitigated) and the services provided by nature are supported and maintained (e.g. pollination, water provision etc.).

How to reach the objectives:

• Preserve biome diversity and habitat connectivity
• Develop and implement habitat-specific management plans
• Provide plans for human-nature coexistence, e.g. Coexistence with carnivores (wolves, lynx, otter, etc.)
• Conflict mitigation processes through stakeholder involvement and common solution finding. More resources must be put into solving these conflicts, for example, more personnel employed in the province, more funding for projects (e.g. to address potential conflicts: large carnivores, golden jackal, wildlife vehicle collision, conflicts with outdoor activities)
• Contractual nature conservation with agriculture (implement a management that can be compatible with ecological connectivity) (DINALPCONNECT)
• Ensure ecological and functional connectivity
• Support extensive land use, for example High Nature Value farming. The concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farmland describes the link between extensive farming systems and their use of semi-natural land and the conservation of high biodiversity in agricultural landscapes 
• Introduce payment for ecosystem services (incl. biodiversity provision) in forest management (enhance multifunctionality)
• Education and awareness raising in schools and for adults on the importance of coexistence with nature, especially in the face of climate change and species extinction

Objective and expected benefits: Ecosystems are protected along with their essential resources for human and non-human life. Future generations will be able to benefit from these resources, just as we do now.

How to reach the objectives:

• Introduce renaturation/rewilding schemes in unused areas
• Partner with networks, practitioners, and associations striving to protect ecosystems (e.g. Platform Biodiversity, Baumgart)
• Enhance Biodiversity on Working Lands 
• Sign a partnership agreement with other businesses to preserve recognised important open spaces for habitat connectivity from construction activities
• Define and sign River contracts with local management authorities
• Support bees and other pollinators’ projects
• Do not allow pollution from business activities to enter water system

Objective and expected benefits: Ecosystems are protected along with their essential resources for human and non-human life. Future generations will be able to benefit from these resources just as we do now.

How to reach the objectives:

• Seek out sustainable tourism operators and visit/support natural parks and protected areas
• Avoid eating/using protected plant and animal species 
• Reduce the consumption of meat and dairy products, especially factory farmed products
• Ask your local representatives to support programs of renaturation/rewilding initiatives in unused areas
• Join your local networks, practitioners and associations in striving to protect ecosystems (e.g. Platform Biodiversity, Baumgart)
• Enhance Biodiversity on Working Lands 
• Join and support bee and other pollinator projects, i.e., by planting bee-flowers, or building a bughotel or bird nets
• Report any illegal activity which you see