Netherlands
National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
Translated from Dutch
1. Overview
The Netherlands published its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025–2030 (Nationale Biodiversiteitsstrategie en Actieplan 2025–2030) as the country's direct contribution to the 23 action targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, established at COP-15 in 2022 [§9]. The plan was developed with input from governmental authorities, businesses, financial and knowledge institutions, interest organisations, and youth organisations [§9].
Terminology note: The Netherlands organises its NBSAP directly around the 23 GBF targets, adopting them wholesale as the document's structural architecture rather than maintaining a separate tier of national strategic goals or pillars. The Dutch term actiedoelen (action targets) is a direct translation of the GBF targets and carries no divergent meaning; this page uses "GBF Target" throughout in line with KMGBF canonical terminology.
The NBSAP covers terrestrial, freshwater, marine, agricultural, urban, and cross-cutting domains across both European Netherlands and the Caribbean Netherlands — the special municipalities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba — which operate under a dedicated Nature and Environmental Policy Plan (NMBP CN 2020–2030) with island-specific implementation agendas.
On protected areas, existing policy, including expansion of the National Nature Network (Natuurnetwerk Nederland), will result in approximately 26% of land and inland waters protected by 2030, rising to over 27% when areas outside Natura 2000 and the Nature Network are included [§10]. Marine protected areas under the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive reach approximately 30% of the sea surface by 2030 [§10]. The land figure falls short of the 30% GBF target; the NBSAP contains no commitment to close this gap.
A Nature Plan (Natuurplan), required under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation by 1 September 2027, is described as "in effect the substantiation of GBF action targets 1 to 12" — meaning the operational content for the largest portion of the Netherlands' terrestrial biodiversity commitments is deferred to a document not yet written [§10].
The Netherlands NBSAP is organised directly around all 23 GBF targets, with no separate national goal architecture. Its most significant structural feature is the delegation of targets 1–12 to a Nature Plan due September 2027. The Netherlands brings an exceptionally dense set of named financial commitments — EUR 2.8 billion for nature restoration, EUR 500 million annually for agricultural nature management from 2026, EUR 1.8 billion for large waters — and positions itself as a structural frontrunner in integrating biodiversity risk into financial supervision through De Nederlandsche Bank.
Sources:
- §9 — NBSAP 2025–2030 > Executive summary
- §10 — NBSAP 2025–2030 > Executive summary > Restoration and protection of nature areas and species
2. Ecological Context
The Netherlands is one of Europe's most densely populated countries, where housing construction, energy transition, mobility infrastructure, agriculture, water management, and nature conservation compete intensively for a constrained land base [§13]. This spatial density is the defining ecological context: the country's biodiversity challenges are inseparable from the complexity of managing simultaneous societal transitions within a small geographic footprint.
The primary ecological pressures identified in the NBSAP are desiccation, habitat fragmentation, excessive nitrogen deposition, nutrient enrichment, plant protection products, chemical substances including PFAS, marine litter, and microplastic pollution [§10]. Of these, nitrogen deposition occupies a structurally distinct position: it has placed a majority of Natura 2000 areas in unfavourable conservation status and drives the architecture of EUR 2.8 billion in restoration investment, a legal programme of nature objective analyses, and an ongoing agricultural transition spanning hundreds of thousands of hectares [§30, §33]. This constraint is addressed in a dedicated section below.
Against this backdrop, the Dutch Living Planet Index has increased by 13% since the 1990s, driven primarily by gains in freshwater and wetland species [§17]. The NBSAP acknowledges this positive trend while noting that "challenges remain in various areas for improving biodiversity" [§17].
The marine dimension is substantial. The North Sea presents distinct pressures from offshore wind development, bottom trawling, shipping, and non-indigenous species introduced through ballast water and hard substrate. The Wadden Sea — a globally significant intertidal system managed in trilateral cooperation with Germany and Denmark — faces cumulative pressures from nutrient loading, recreational use, fisheries, and coastal modification [§40].
The Caribbean Netherlands dimension is categorically different: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba face coral reef degradation, invasive species, extreme weather events, and population and tourism pressure. A 2017 State of Nature assessment concluded that biodiversity across all three islands is "without exception, in a moderate to very unfavourable state" [§365]. This sub-territory is addressed in a dedicated section below.
Sources:
- §10 — NBSAP > Executive summary > Restoration and protection of nature areas and species
- §13 — NBSAP > Executive summary > Implementation and mainstreaming
- §17 — NBSAP > Executive summary > Towards 2030
- §30 — NBSAP > Action target 2 > Nitrogen Policy
- §33 — NBSAP > Action target 2 > Nature Programme
- §40 — NBSAP > Action target 2 > Wadden Sea
- §365 — Annex 2 > Context of NMBP Caribbean Netherlands
3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment
Because the Netherlands organises its NBSAP directly around the 23 GBF targets without a separate national commitment tier, commitments are presented here by thematic cluster, each mapped to the relevant GBF Targets.
Protected areas and nature network
Commitment: Protect approximately 26% of Dutch land and inland waters by 2030 through implementation of existing policy including expansion of the National Nature Network, rising to over 27% when areas outside Natura 2000 and the Nature Network are included; protect approximately 30% of sea surface through the Birds and Habitats Directives and Marine Strategy Framework Directive [§10].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 3 (protected areas).
Key instruments: National Nature Network (Natuurnetwerk Nederland), Natura 2000 network, North Sea Programme 2022–2027, Marine Strategy Framework Directive designation.
Measurability assessment: The land (26–27%) and marine (~30%) figures are measurable commitments — quantified thresholds with a 2030 deadline. The land figure explicitly falls below the 30% GBF target; the NBSAP does not commit to closing this gap.
Indicators: Protected area percentage (land and sea); National Nature Network expansion hectarage (80,000 ha total target; 48,511 ha realised since 2011).
Ecosystem restoration
Commitment: Invest EUR 2.8 billion in nature restoration over 2021–2030 through the Nature Programme, with a further EUR 500 million from 2026 to combat deterioration in and around Natura 2000 areas; deliver a Nature Plan by 1 September 2027 covering concrete restoration measures through 2030 with a strategic outlook to 2050 [§10, §33].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 2 (ecosystem restoration), GBF Target 1 (spatial planning).
Key instruments: Nature Programme (Programma Natuur), Nature Pact (Natuurpact, EUR 415 million/year), Nitrogen Reduction and Nature Improvement Programme (PSN), Nature Restoration Regulation, Programmatic Approach to Large Waters (PAGW, ~EUR 1.8 billion).
Measurability assessment: The investment figures and the Nature Plan deadline (1 September 2027) are measurable commitments. The substantive restoration content — what areas, ecosystem types, and quantitative targets — constitutes an interim commitment: the Nature Plan content has not yet been defined.
Indicators: Nature objective analyses (area-level status for all Natura 2000 areas); WFD compliance rates; BHD reporting cycle.
Species recovery
Commitment: Compile and update Red Lists for all 20 species groups on a decadal cycle; achieve a stable and/or positive trend in wild bee and pollinator populations by 2030 through the National Pollinator Strategy (Nationale Bijenstrategie) [§10, §59].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 4 (species recovery).
Key instruments: National Pollinator Strategy (100+ partners, 2018–2030), Red Lists under the Environment and Planning Act, Black-tailed Godwit Action Plan (EUR 69.5 million, 2023–2027), National Wolf Approach, 12 marine species protection plans (2023–2025).
Measurability assessment: Red List decadal updates are a measurable commitment. The pollinator trend target ("stable and/or positive") is a directional aspiration — direction is specified but no quantitative population threshold is defined. Monitoring of bees and hoverflies commences 2025.
Indicators: Red List indices (1950 baseline); pollinator population trend indices from 2025 monitoring.
Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Commitment: Deliver biodiversity activities on 60% of cultivated land area, 65,000 hectares of landscape under management, 6.5% organic farming area, and preservation of 170,000 rare farm animals by 2027 under the CAP National Strategic Plan; expand organic farming from 4% (~80,000 ha) to 15% (~300,000 ha) by 2030 [§121, §126].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 10 (agriculture, forestry, fisheries).
Key instruments: CAP-NSP eco-scheme (EUR 152 million/year, 26 activities), Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management (ANLb, 40 collectives, 12,000+ farmers), Action Plan for Organic Farming, Forest Strategy (37,400 ha new forest; 14,000 ha natural forest; 25,000 ha agroforestry by 2030), Vision on Food from the Sea and Major Waters (March 2024).
Measurability assessment: CAP-NSP hectarage and organic farming targets are measurable commitments. Forest hectarage targets are measurable commitments. The ANLb expansion to ~280,000 ha by 2032 is an interim commitment, explicitly qualified as "depending on choices yet to be made" [§121, §224]. All agricultural soils sustainably managed from 2030 is a directional aspiration — no quantitative soil quality threshold is defined.
Marine fisheries: No bottom trawling in 15% of the Dutch North Sea by 2030 (North Sea Agreement); 100% closure of bottom mussel seed fisheries in the Wadden Sea by 2029 — both measurable commitments [§50, §304].
Indicators: CAP-NSP target figures; organic area share; ANLb coverage; forest inventory; protected seabed percentage.
Pollution reduction
Commitment: Achieve at least 50% health gains from reduced air pollution emissions by 2030 vs. 2016 under the Clean Air Agreement; implement approximately 65 generic and 1,700 area-specific Water Framework Directive measures by end of 2027; have existing historical soil contamination under control by 2030 [§95, §96].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 7 (pollution reduction).
Key instruments: Clean Air Agreement (national government, provinces, 120+ municipalities), WFD Impulse Programme (launched 2023), National Environmental Programme, Chemical Substances Impulse Programme (2023–2026), PFAS restriction proposal to ECHA (co-submitted with Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden).
Measurability assessment: The 50% air pollution reduction is a measurable commitment. "Virtually no exceedances" of plant protection products in surface water by 2027 is a directional aspiration. Soil contamination "under control" by 2030 is a directional aspiration — no quantitative threshold is defined. The shift to emission-based nitrogen regulation is a directional aspiration — policy direction stated without a quantitative nature-outcome threshold.
Indicators: Air pollution emissions vs. 2016 baseline; WFD individual target compliance (currently over three-quarters of 100,000+ targets met, though virtually no water body achieves full compliance under the one-out-all-out principle).
Climate and biodiversity
Commitment: Achieve 55% GHG reduction by 2030 vs. 1990 and climate neutrality by 2050; achieve 0.4–0.8 Mtonnes additional annual carbon sequestration in forests, trees, and nature; 1 Mtonne annual GHG reduction from peat and peaty soils from 2030; 0.5 Mtonnes CO2-eq additional annual sequestration in mineral agricultural soils from 2030 [§107, §108, §110, §111].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 8 (climate and biodiversity).
Key instruments: Climate Act and Climate Plan 2025–2035, Forest Strategy, National Peatland Meadows Programme, National Programme on Agricultural Soils, Delta Programme, NL2120 knowledge programme (EUR 110 million, National Growth Fund).
Measurability assessment: All climate and sequestration targets are measurable commitments with quantified thresholds and defined deadlines.
Indicators: GHG national inventory; carbon sequestration accounts; peatland area with raised groundwater.
Urban biodiversity
Commitment: Prevent national net loss of urban green space and urban tree canopy cover through 2030 under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation Article 8; 50% of public spaces ecologically managed by 2030; biodiversity increase in at least 50% of new spatial developments by 2030 [§155, §163].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 12 (urban biodiversity).
Key instruments: Green In and Around the City (GIOS) approach, National Standard for a Green and Climate-Adaptive Built Environment, Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery, Working Landscapes of the Future (EUR 26 million, National Growth Fund).
Measurability assessment: No net loss of urban green space is a measurable commitment (legally binding under the NRR). The 50% public spaces and 50% spatial developments targets are measurable commitments.
Finance and ecological footprint
Commitment: Develop a National Biodiversity Finance Plan in accordance with CBD agreements, jointly with Belgium, Finland, and Luxembourg (IUCN/EU Technical Support Instrument) [§13, §219].
GBF Target mapping: GBF Target 19 (finance mobilisation).
Measurability assessment: This is a directional aspiration — it commits to producing the plan; no quantitative finance mobilisation outcome is yet defined.
Note: The previously maintained target of halving the Dutch ecological footprint by 2050 "is not endorsed by this government" [§13]. No replacement metric or monitoring commitment is offered for this withdrawn target.
Sources:
- §10, §13, §17, §33, §47, §59, §83, §95, §96, §107, §108, §110, §111, §121, §126, §155, §163, §219, §224, §304
4. Delivery Architecture
Legislation and EU frameworks
The Netherlands operates within the EU legal framework as the primary legislative layer. The Birds and Habitats Directives provide core protected area and species protection obligations. The Water Framework Directive drives water quality measures across approximately 750 water bodies with 100,000+ individual targets. The EU Nature Restoration Regulation (Natuurherstelverordening) imposes restoration obligations across terrestrial, coastal, freshwater, marine, urban, agricultural, and forest ecosystems; the Nature Plan due 1 September 2027 is the primary national delivery vehicle [§42].
The EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation governs alien species control, complemented by a national Action Plan on Invasive Alien Species (contours submitted to Parliament December 2024). At national level, the Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) establishes species protection and spatial permitting frameworks. The Nagoya Protocol Implementation Act governs access and benefit-sharing. The Climate Act (Klimaatwet) anchors the 55% GHG reduction and climate neutrality targets.
Flagship programmes
Terrestrial restoration: The Nature Programme (Programma Natuur) is the largest single instrument, investing EUR 2.8 billion (2021–2030) in nitrogen-sensitive Natura 2000 areas, complemented by EUR 415 million/year under the Nature Pact (Natuurpact). The Nitrogen Reduction and Nature Improvement Programme (PSN) combines source reduction and restoration measures. Nature objective analyses (Natuurdoelanalyses), mandated for all Natura 2000 areas, with their first cycle completed April 2023, are being extended to all pressures and all designated areas [§31].
Agriculture: The CAP National Strategic Plan (2023–2027) channels agricultural support through a three-layer architecture: basic premium conditions, an eco-scheme with 26 activities, and Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management (ANLb) through 40 collectives with 12,000+ farmers.
Marine and coastal: The North Sea Programme 2022–2027 provides the spatial planning framework for the North Sea, incorporating nature-inclusive design requirements for offshore wind installations. The Programmatic Approach to Large Waters (PAGW) targets restoration of large inland and coastal water systems by 2050 (~EUR 1.8 billion, 23 development projects).
Forest: The Forest Strategy (Bossenstrategie, adopted 2020) sets quantified targets for new forest, natural forest, agroforestry, green-blue infrastructure, and carbon sequestration, tied to the National Climate Agreement.
Governance arrangements
Implementation is distributed across the national government, twelve provinces, water boards, and municipalities. The Administrative Consultation on Nature (BO Natuur) coordinates national–provincial alignment on Natura 2000 objectives and nature objective analyses. Provinces hold primary responsibility for nature network delivery and species protection permitting. The Ecological Authority (Ecologische Autoriteit) provides independent scientific oversight of nature objective analyses and determines when landscape-ecological system analyses (LESAs) are required for vulnerable Natura 2000 areas [§31].
Private sector and civil society
The Nature-Inclusive Agenda 2.0 (Agenda Natuurinclusief 2.0, adopted autumn 2023) organises a public-private Nature-Inclusive Collective (Collectief Natuurinclusief) across ten domains — business parks, construction, energy, financial sector, health, infrastructure, agriculture, education, leisure economy, and water — with a dedicated ambassador and a National Consultation (NiNO) governance structure since 2023 [§180].
Sources:
- §9, §10, §22, §30, §31, §33, §39, §42, §76, §107, §108, §121, §172, §180
Nitrogen: the structural constraint running through Dutch biodiversity policy
Nitrogen deposition is not one pressure among many in the Dutch NBSAP — it is the single factor that most directly explains the architecture and scale of the Netherlands' biodiversity investment and institutional arrangements.
The European Netherlands is one of the most nitrogen-deposited landscapes on the continent. Atmospheric deposition from agriculture, mobility, construction, and industry has placed a majority of Natura 2000 areas in unfavourable conservation status. The legal and institutional response is extensive: the Nitrogen Reduction and Nature Improvement Act (Wet Stikstofreductie en Natuurverbetering) mandates nature objective analyses (Natuurdoelanalyses) for all nitrogen-sensitive Natura 2000 areas, the first full cycle delivered in April 2023 [§31]. From late 2024, these analyses are being extended to all Natura 2000 areas and all pressures — not nitrogen alone [§31].
The Nature Programme's EUR 2.8 billion investment (2021–2030) is directed primarily at "priority measures in and around nitrogen-sensitive Natura 2000 areas" [§33]. The additional EUR 500 million from 2026 targets deterioration in those same areas. The peatland meadow extensification programme (targeting approximately 50,000 ha near Natura 2000 areas and approximately 22,000 ha with raised groundwater) and the National Buyout Scheme for Livestock Locations Plus (Lbv-plus) are both designed explicitly around nitrogen deposition reduction [§83, §123].
Spatial planning constraints are partly structured around nitrogen: simultaneous demands for housing expansion, energy infrastructure, and nature restoration cannot be pursued independently because all trigger nitrogen permit requirements in a densely urbanised country [§13].
The current government has announced a significant policy reorientation: shifting from deposition-based nitrogen regulation — where permitted activities are assessed against ambient deposition loads measured at receptor sites — to emission-based regulation, where permit obligations attach to emission volumes at source. The NBSAP describes this as combining "area-specific measures, a broad buyout scheme, and farm-specific standards for nitrogen and climate emissions." This restructures how conservation outcomes are legally triggered for farmers and operators across the Netherlands.
A reader comparing European NBSAPs will find no equivalent institutional architecture in other countries' plans: nitrogen deposition drives investment levels, spatial constraints, agricultural transition programmes, and now a fundamental change in the regulatory model.
Sources:
- §13, §30, §31, §33, §83, §123
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba: a distinct biodiversity dimension
The Netherlands NBSAP covers three Caribbean special municipalities — Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba — as a legally and ecologically distinct sub-territory with tropical biodiversity that is categorically different from the temperate European Netherlands. The islands' wellbeing is described as "highly dependent on the quality of the natural environment," which provides ecological, cultural, and economic services to local populations, the region, and the wider world [§365].
A 2017 State of Nature assessment concluded that biodiversity across all three islands is "without exception, in a moderate to very unfavourable state" [§365]. Common pressures — affecting the islands "albeit to varying degrees" — include extreme weather consequences, population growth, and tourism growth [§365].
Policy architecture
The Nature and Environmental Policy Plan for Caribbean Netherlands 2020–2030 (NMBP CN) is the governing instrument. It organises around four strategic goals: reversing coral reef degradation; restoring and conserving unique habitats and species; sustainable use of land and water for local economic development; and creating local conditions to sustain nature policy results [§365]. Beneath these sit twelve sub-goals spanning erosion and runoff control, waste and wastewater management, coral reef restoration, keystone and flagship species conservation, invasive species prevention and control, sustainable fisheries, tourism management, sustainable local food production, education and training, employment through nature investment, and structural research [§365].
Under the NMBP CN, each island draws up an island-specific implementation agenda specifying milestones, lead organisations, planning, deadlines, and available or required budget [§371]. Sint Eustatius and Saba have adopted their agendas; Bonaire has not yet done so [§365].
Legal framework status
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety does not yet apply to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba; an examination into how the protocol can be implemented on the islands is announced but not concluded [Target 17]. The Nagoya Protocol is not yet specifically mentioned in the Nature Management and Protection Framework Act BES; an examination of whether legislative amendment is desirable is underway [Target 13]. Both are pending decisions, not completed implementations.
Monitoring and financing
A monitoring framework based on OECD criteria and principles is proposed under the NMBP, with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) supporting indicator elaboration for various result levels [§370]. Each island maintains its own programme monitor. The NBSAP notes that "many activities depend on temporary financing that ceases after a number of years" and that structural financing for nature management is an identified condition for successful implementation [§371]. The National Biodiversity Finance Plan under development will address Caribbean Netherlands financing gaps, including innovative mechanisms such as blended finance [§371].
Sources:
- §365, §370, §371, §395
5. Monitoring and Accountability
Institutional oversight
Implementation responsibility is distributed. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) holds system responsibility for most biodiversity targets. Provincial implementation is coordinated through the Administrative Consultation on Nature (BO Natuur). The Ecological Authority (Ecologische Autoriteit) provides independent scientific oversight of nature objective analyses and determines where landscape-ecological system analyses are required [§31].
For agriculture, LVVN is developing objective-based steering instruments, including farm-specific key performance indicators (KPIs) for sustainability performance, supported by a nutrient balance for dairy and arable farming [§127].
Monitoring infrastructure
The Ecological Monitoring Network (Netwerk Ecologische Monitoring, NEM) coordinates monitoring across government organisations, national species organisations, and approximately 16,000 voluntary observers, with Statistics Netherlands (CBS) providing quality assurance [§241]. Observations are recorded in the National Database of Flora and Fauna (Nationale Databank Flora en Fauna, NDFF), currently transitioning to a publicly accessible nature register (targeted for 2025) [§241].
Assessment and reporting products include the Environmental Data Compendium (Compendium voor de Leefomgeving), the Nature Progress Report (Voortgangsrapportage Natuur), the Assessment of the Living Environment (Balans van de Leefomgeving), and the Atlas of Natural Capital [§241]. Statutory reporting includes Birds and Habitats Directive reporting every six years, Red List publication, and the Trilateral Wadden Sea Monitoring and Assessment Programme (TMAP) [§241]. Remote sensing monitoring is coordinated through the National Space Office/RVO [§241].
GBF monitoring alignment
The Netherlands aligns its national monitoring with the GBF monitoring framework across headline, component, and complementary indicators covering 23 action targets. Headline indicators established at COP-15 remain subject to ongoing negotiation as of May 2024 [§398].
Financial flow assessment
In autumn 2024, the Netherlands commenced a government-wide study into the positive and negative effects of national financial resources on biodiversity, using a standardised assessment method peer-tested with the OECD, the European Commission DG Environment, and representatives from Germany, France, Italy, Finland, and Australia [§215]. The study runs through a Community of Practice of participating ministries; completion is due mid-2025 [§215].
Sources:
- §31, §127, §215, §241, §398
6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation
The Netherlands NBSAP presents one of the most financially detailed records in the GBF corpus, with named, quantified programme budgets across multiple delivery areas.
Domestic public funding
Dutch authorities spent approximately EUR 1.34 billion gross on nature and landscape in 2021 (Statistics Netherlands) [§216]. The largest single commitment is the Nature Programme: EUR 2.8 billion in nature restoration over 2021–2030, directed primarily at nitrogen-sensitive Natura 2000 areas [§33]. A further EUR 500 million is intended from 2026 for combating deterioration in and around Natura 2000 areas [§33]. The Nature Pact provides approximately EUR 415 million per year (85% national, 15% provincial) [§33]. The government has allocated approximately EUR 5 billion to the agricultural sector, with up to EUR 500 million for nature restoration; no additional public resources beyond these allocations are foreseen [§218].
Agricultural nature management
The CAP eco-schemes budget amounts to EUR 152 million per year [§224]. The ANLb scheme grows from EUR 100 million to EUR 120 million per year within the current CAP period (2023–2027). A EUR 500 million annual structural boost from 2026 is expected to expand ANLb coverage from approximately 100,000 to approximately 280,000 hectares by 2032, "depending on choices yet to be made" [§121, §224]. The Cooperation Measure for Peatland Meadows has approximately EUR 370 million available through 2028 [§224].
Marine and large waters
The North Sea Nature Strengthening programme carries EUR 150 million [§22]. The Programmatic Approach to Large Waters (PAGW) estimates approximately EUR 1.8 billion in investment for 23 development projects to be constructed by 2033 [§39].
International financing
In 2024, approximately EUR 220 million was spent from the Foreign Trade and Development Aid budget on activities in developing countries with biodiversity co-benefits [§217]. No forward commitment or trajectory is stated for this figure.
Harmful subsidies (GBF Target 18)
A government-wide study commenced autumn 2024 assesses which national financial flows and incentives harm biodiversity, using a method aligned with OECD guidelines and CBD and EU reporting requirements, peer-tested with six countries [§215]. The government states it "expressly also wishes to consider whether the biodiversity benefits outweigh the potential societal or economic disadvantages for society" before acting on findings [§214]. Study completion is due mid-2025, "after which possible follow-up steps for improvement will be explored" [§215].
Private finance and financial sector
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) published Indebted to Nature (2020) — the first central bank calculation of a financial sector's exposure to nature-related risks — and co-chairs the NGFS Task Force on Nature-related Risks [§193]. The Ministry of LVVN co-founded the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and participates in its Stewardship Council [§191]. Government supports the Partnership for Biodiversity Accounting Financials (PBAF) and the Ecosystem Services Valuation Database (ESVD) [§192]. Green bonds issued by the central government using the EU taxonomy have included nature protection and restoration since July 2023 [§226].
National Biodiversity Finance Plan
The Netherlands is developing a National Biodiversity Finance Plan jointly with Belgium, Finland, and Luxembourg, with IUCN technical support through the EU Technical Support Instrument. The plan will assess financing needs, current availability, and pathways for additional public-private financing including blended finance, bio-credits, and payment for ecosystem services [§219]. The plan is not yet complete; no quantitative finance mobilisation outcome has been defined.
Sources:
- §22, §33, §39, §88, §92, §93, §121, §191, §192, §193, §214, §215, §216, §217, §218, §219, §224, §226
7. GBF Target Coverage
GBF Target 1 — Spatial planning: Addressed
The Spatial Planning Memorandum (Nota Ruimte) is the overarching framework for biodiversity-inclusive spatial policy, replacing the 2020 National Environmental Vision; its Preliminary Design (2024) addresses three spatial movements including a balance between agriculture and nature. The NOVEX programme operates through twelve spatial arrangements with provinces and sixteen area-specific NOVEX areas, with development perspectives for three complex areas (Green Heart, the Peel, Arnhem-Nijmegen FoodValley). A Nature Strengthening of the North Sea programme was established in 2024 with EUR 150 million. The Water and Soil as Guiding Principles letter identifies 33 structuring choices for incorporating water and soil systems in plan development. Defence sites are explicitly recognised as important for biodiversity given their size and low-intensity management.
GBF Target 2 — Ecosystem restoration: Addressed
The Netherlands commits EUR 2.8 billion through the Nature Programme (2021–2030), EUR 500 million additional from 2026, and EUR 415 million per year under the Nature Pact for ecosystem restoration. Nature objective analyses (Natuurdoelanalyses), first completed for all nitrogen-sensitive Natura 2000 areas in April 2023, are being broadened to all pressures and all designated areas from late 2024. The Nature Plan required by 1 September 2027 under the EU Nature Restoration Regulation is described as "in effect the substantiation of GBF action targets 1 to 12." Good environmental status under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive has been achieved only for contaminants in fishery products; all other MSFD descriptors remain outside reach. Nitrogen policy is undergoing a stated shift from deposition-based to emission-based regulation.
GBF Target 3 — Protected areas: Addressed
With full implementation of existing policy, the Netherlands projects approximately 26% of land and inland waters protected by 2030 (rising to over 27% with additional areas), and approximately 30% of sea surface through the Birds and Habitats Directives and MSFD. The National Nature Network expansion targets 80,000 hectares of new nature (48,511 ha developed since 2011). The dedicated Target 3 section of the NBSAP is brief; quantitative commitments appear in the executive summary. The land figure falls short of the GBF 30% target; the NBSAP does not commit to closing this gap.
GBF Target 4 — Species recovery: Addressed
Red Lists are compiled for 20 species groups using IUCN criteria with 1950 as the base year, published in the Government Gazette, and updated on a decadal cycle. The National Pollinator Strategy (2018–2030, 100+ partners) targets a stable and/or positive trend in wild bee and pollinator populations by 2030, with bee and hoverfly monitoring commencing 2025. The Black-tailed Godwit Action Plan receives EUR 69.5 million during the 2023–2027 CAP period. Twelve marine species protection plans are being produced under the North Sea Agreement (2023–2025) covering species vulnerable to offshore wind, those requiring general protection under international frameworks, and species key to nature restoration. Successful reintroductions of otter and beaver are cited; a feasibility study for European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) reintroduction in the Rhine receives Dutch financial and staff support. The NBSAP does not describe specific measures for conserving the genetic diversity of wild species.
GBF Target 5 — Sustainable harvest: Mentioned
The dedicated Target 5 section of the NBSAP contains a single cross-reference paragraph deferring sustainable fisheries content — maximum sustainable yield, the EU Eel Regulation, and bycatch reduction — to GBF Target 10. No CITES implementation details, wildlife trade enforcement mechanisms, or dedicated sustainable harvest policies are described beyond this cross-reference, despite the executive summary stating the Netherlands "specifically commits to stimulating sustainable use of and trade in wild species."
GBF Target 6 — Invasive alien species: Addressed
The Netherlands implements the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation with system responsibility at LVVN, control and management by provinces, and a national trade ban on three Asian knotweed species. A National Action Plan on Invasive Alien Species is in preparation (December 2024 outlines submitted to Parliament). A dedicated programme addresses non-native crayfish. Marine policy focuses on prevention through the Ballast Water Convention (implemented in national legislation 2017), shellfish transport permit conditions, and pursuit of international hull fouling agreements. Non-indigenous hard substrate introduced for wind farm erosion protection is flagged as an emerging pathway for secondary introduction of non-native species. The Netherlands participates with Germany and Denmark in the Trilateral Management and Action Plan Alien Species (MAPAS) for the Wadden Sea.
GBF Target 7 — Pollution reduction: Addressed
The NBSAP's most detailed chapter spans nutrients, nitrogen, pesticides, biocides, chemical substances, PFAS, soil contamination, marine litter, plastics, microplastics, air quality, and water quality. The Clean Air Agreement (national government, provinces, 120+ municipalities) targets at least 50% reduced air pollution emissions by 2030 vs. 2016. The Netherlands co-submitted a PFAS restriction proposal under REACH with Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, with a EUR 6.5 million national PFAS research programme (2022–2025). The WFD Impulse Programme (launched 2023) targets compliance with approximately 65 generic and 1,700 area-specific measures by end of 2027; currently over three-quarters of 100,000+ individual WFD targets are met, though under the one-out-all-out principle virtually no water body achieves full compliance. The National Environmental Programme aspires to a healthy, clean, and safe living environment by 2050. EUR 220 million from the National Growth Fund is allocated to Circular Plastics NL.
GBF Target 8 — Climate and biodiversity: Addressed
The Netherlands commits to 55% GHG reduction by 2030 (vs. 1990) and climate neutrality by 2050 under the Climate Act. Multiple quantified carbon sequestration pathways are specified: 0.4–0.8 Mtonnes annually from forests, trees, and nature; 1 Mtonne from peat and peaty soils from 2030; 0.5 Mtonnes CO2-eq from mineral agricultural soils from 2030. The Action Programme for Climate Adaptation in Nature targets equipping all governments and land managers for climate risks to biodiversity by 2030. The Delta Programme works toward flood safety and climate-proof spatial configuration by 2050. The North Sea Agreement commits offshore wind roll-out to remain within the ecological carrying capacity of the North Sea, with standstill arrangements for bats and stop-start systems during mass nocturnal bird migration.
GBF Target 9 — Wild species use: Not identified
Content addressing GBF Target 9 was not identified in this NBSAP. The NBSAP's own action target 5 covers sustainable, safe, and legal use and trade of wild species, but that content maps to GBF Target 5. Target 9's focus on managing wild species so as to provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to people — particularly to vulnerable populations — does not appear in the source material.
GBF Target 10 — Agriculture, forestry, fisheries: Addressed
The CAP National Strategic Plan (2023–2027) structures agricultural biodiversity contributions through three layers: basic premium conditions, an eco-scheme with 26 activities (EUR 152 million/year), and ANLb habitat management through 40 collectives with 12,000+ farmers. CAP-NSP targets include biodiversity activities on 60% of cultivated area and 65,000 hectares of landscape management by 2027. The organic farming target runs from 4% (~80,000 ha) to 15% (~300,000 ha) by 2030. The Forest Strategy prohibits clear-felling, limits group felling to a maximum of 0.5 hectares, and targets 37,400 hectares of new forest and 14,000 hectares of natural forest by 2030. The Vision on Food from the Sea and Major Waters (March 2024) commits fisheries and aquaculture to ecosystem carrying capacity, with no bottom trawling in 15% of the Dutch North Sea by 2030 and full closure of Wadden Sea bottom mussel seed fisheries by 2029. The North Sea fleet has already contracted by one third through recent decommissioning.
GBF Target 11 — Ecosystem services (NbS): Addressed
The NL2120 knowledge programme (EUR 110 million, National Growth Fund) researches nature-based solutions across landscape types including high sandy soils, peatland meadow areas, and urban areas. Natural Capital Accounts (NKR), developed by Statistics Netherlands and Wageningen University & Research under the UN SEEA framework, value 12 ecosystem services at over EUR 13 billion per year terrestrially and EUR 6 billion per year for the North Sea marine domain. The Programmatic Approach to Large Waters (~EUR 1.8 billion) delivers ecosystem functions and services across large inland and coastal water systems. Nature-based solutions have been embedded in the Policy Compass (Beleidskompas), the central government's standard methodology for policymaking, institutionalising NbS consideration across all policy domains.
GBF Target 12 — Urban biodiversity: Addressed
The Green In and Around the City (GIOS) approach implements NRR Article 8, creating a legally binding no-net-loss floor for urban green space and tree canopy through 2030. The National Standard for a Green and Climate-Adaptive Built Environment sets quantitative performance requirements for biodiversity alongside flooding, drought, heat, and subsidence. The Delta Plan for Biodiversity Recovery targets 50% ecological management of public spaces by 2030 and biodiversity increases in at least 50% of new spatial developments by 2030. Species Management Plans bridge the tension between energy-efficient post-insulation of buildings and protection of building-dwelling bat species. The Working Landscapes of the Future programme (EUR 26 million, nine years) transforms business parks into green, climate-resilient working landscapes.
GBF Target 13 — Genetic resources / ABS: Addressed
The Nagoya Protocol Implementation Act entered into force 23 April 2016, governing access and benefit-sharing. The Netherlands does not require national prior informed consent to access genetic resources, having not legislated national sovereignty over such resources. The Centre for Genetic Resources, Netherlands (CGN) at Wageningen University & Research operates as national ABS focal point (EUR 3,476,026/year, 2022–2026). The Netherlands is an active participant in CBD Digital Sequence Information negotiations and the Cali Fund established at COP-16 (2024), with candidacy for the intersessional Steering Committee. Budget figures are specified for focal point activities (~EUR 100,000/year), NVWA compliance enforcement (EUR 68,015/year), and international voluntary contributions to the ITPGRFA and GIZ ABS Initiative. Extension of the Nagoya Protocol to Caribbean Netherlands (BES islands) is under examination.
GBF Target 14 — Mainstreaming: Addressed
The Nature-Inclusive Collective (Collectief Natuurinclusief) operates across ten domains with a dedicated ambassador and NiNO governance since 2023, pursuing a nature-inclusive society by 2050. The Nature-Inclusive Agenda 2.0 (autumn 2023) describes concrete actions for 2024–2026. Nature-based solutions have been formally embedded in the Policy Compass (Beleidskompas). Natural Capital Accounts implementing the UN SEEA framework are included in the Broad Prosperity Monitor. A PIANOo assessment found biodiversity is not yet firmly embedded in government procurement criteria; follow-up integration work targets infrastructure, water, construction, and agriculture procurement categories.
GBF Target 15 — Business disclosure: Addressed
The Ministry of LVVN co-founded the TNFD, participates in its Stewardship Council, and subsidises it to develop a framework for nature transition plans for private parties. Government also supports the PBAF Biodiversity Footprint Financial Institutions tool and the ESVD global ecosystem services database. De Nederlandsche Bank published Indebted to Nature (2020) — the first central bank calculation of financial sector nature-related risk exposure — and co-chairs the NGFS Task Force on Nature-related Risks. A 2023 DNB guide calls on supervised institutions to monitor biodiversity risks; a consultation on its update is underway in 2025. No new national reporting obligations for biodiversity are being imposed on financial institutions, citing concern about reporting burden.
GBF Target 16 — Sustainable consumption: Mentioned
The NBSAP's coverage focuses on production-side agricultural sustainability — the European Deforestation Regulation, emission reductions, crop protection, and organic production growth — while explicitly stating that the government "does not see a major role for itself" in consumer sustainable choices. The previously maintained target of halving the Dutch ecological footprint by 2050 "is not endorsed by this government." Food waste halving — a core element of GBF Target 16 — is not addressed.
GBF Target 17 — Biosafety: Addressed
The Netherlands claims full compliance with GBF Target 17 for European Netherlands through EU legal implementation of the Cartagena Protocol, including Directives 2009/41 and 2001/18, Regulation 1829/2003, the national GMO Decree and GMO Regulation, and transposition of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol. Risk assessment, risk management, detection, labelling (0.9% threshold), and environmental liability frameworks are all implemented. Information is made available through the Biosafety Clearing House and EU databases. The Cartagena Protocol does not yet apply to Caribbean Netherlands; an examination of implementation modalities on those islands is pending.
GBF Target 18 — Harmful subsidies: Addressed
A government-wide study commenced autumn 2024 assesses positive and negative biodiversity effects of national financial resources, using a standardised method aligned with OECD guidelines and CBD and EU reporting requirements, internationally peer-tested with the OECD, European Commission DG Environment, and representatives from six countries [§215]. Completion is due mid-2025. The NBSAP acknowledges some financial flows "may — unintentionally — be harmful to biodiversity" but states the government "expressly also wishes to consider whether the biodiversity benefits outweigh the potential societal or economic disadvantages for society" before acting [§214]. LVVN intends to begin greening, redirecting, and phasing out harmful elements of its own financial incentives from 2025.
GBF Target 19 — Finance mobilisation: Addressed
The NBSAP is structured around the five GBF sub-targets for international (EUR 220 million ODA with biodiversity co-benefits, 2024), national (EUR 1.34 billion gross in 2021), private, innovative, and climate-synergy financing. A National Biodiversity Finance Plan is under development jointly with Belgium, Finland, and Luxembourg via IUCN and the EU Technical Support Instrument. Innovative finance work covers blended finance, bio-credits, and payment for ecosystem services. The Dutch Minister of Finance co-chaired the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action. No additional public resources beyond announced allocations are foreseen.
GBF Target 20 — Capacity-building and technology transfer: Addressed
The Netherlands operates an extensive international capacity-building programme: GBIF membership and operation of NLBIF; participation in the EU-funded Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme for Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific; co-lead of Biodiversa+ internationalisation; IPBES Capacity Building Taskforce membership (2024–2027); and the LVVN attaché network operating at 60 embassies serving 80+ countries. The WOTRO Science for Global Development programme and seven Dutch knowledge institutions in the SAIL platform facilitate North-South and South-South knowledge transfer. The Netherlands commits to expanding from primarily multilateral to include bilateral biodiversity partnerships.
GBF Target 21 — Data and information: Addressed
The National Database of Flora and Fauna (NDFF) is transitioning to a public nature register (targeted for 2025). The Ecological Monitoring Network (NEM) coordinates monitoring with 16,000 voluntary observers. Multiple knowledge-translation platforms are supported including Green Knowledge Net and OBN Nature Knowledge. The Dutch National Research Agenda (NWA) allows governments to submit biodiversity research themes annually. Caribbean Netherlands monitoring is being developed with OECD-based criteria for alignment with the GBF monitoring framework, with each island maintaining its own programme monitor.
GBF Target 22 — Inclusive participation: Mentioned
The NBSAP addresses Targets 22 and 23 jointly in a single brief annex paragraph. The Netherlands states it "continually asks whether the right parties are at the table, including women, young people, and smaller businesses" and that it is working towards more inclusive decision-making. An exploration into whether additional steps are needed will be conducted in consultation with Caribbean Netherlands public bodies. No specific mechanisms, institutional arrangements, timelines, or provisions for indigenous peoples and local communities are described.
GBF Target 23 — Gender equality: Mentioned
Addressed jointly with Target 22 in a single brief annex paragraph. The Netherlands references including women at the table as part of its inclusive decision-making approach. No gender-specific analysis, sex-disaggregated indicators, gender action plan, or dedicated gender-responsive implementation mechanisms are described. An exploration of whether additional steps are needed is announced.
Translated from Dutch