Implementing the European Union Biodiversity Strategy: Interlinked challenges and a potential way forward

1. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are considered essential threats to our well-being both in Europe and worldwide. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 was launched in May 2020, and it was reviewed by the Commission in 2024, assessing progress and identifying implementation gaps. To avoid the failure of yet another very ambitious Biodiversity Strategy, it is key to understand the obstacles and challenges which contribute to limiting actual implementation. 2. This study includes an evidence-based analysis leading to categorization of challenges and indicating the interlinkages between them. Based on an exploratory and a targeted literature review, semi-structured expert interviews, and expert consultations we identified and analysed eight strongly interlinked challenge categories: accessibility of knowledge, engagement, funding, sectoral policy coherence, management effectiveness, systematic spatial planning, vertical policy implementation, and current political and economic structures. 3. We found that challenges stemming from path-dependent institutional processes and the broader socio-political context can significantly constrain the availability of straightforward solutions. Political short-termism, the influence of the subsidiarity principle on effective EU law enforcement in Member States, and the prioritisation of economic growth over environmental considerations are among the key challenges arising from political and economic structures. 4. The category of ‘knowledge accessibility’ appeared central, creating a notable opportunity for science–policy interfaces to positively impact several other challenge categories. 5. Policy implications. Facilitating interactions between science and biodiversity policy could potentially impact the underlying causes of implementation failures. However, this influence can only be achieved by transcending mere knowledge synthesis and actively engaging in constructive critique, fostering capacity development and collaborative learning.