Options for further development of the ANK
31.07.2025
Report
To further develop the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity (ANK) effectively, the WBNK has identified key fields of action and developed recommendations in a Report. Its recommendations are aimed at consistently utilising the considerable climate mitigation potential of natural ecosystems. In addition to ecological effects, the focus is also on legal, planning and financial requirements – for example through targeted incentives, simplified procedures and better integration into existing structures. The following recommendations from the Advisory Board show concrete ways in which Nature-based Solutions for climate and biodiversity can be effectively implemented throughout Germany.
Peatlands: Wetland management and exploiting the greatest potential for savings
Natural water bodies and floodplains: developing models and measures for near-natural water balance
Seas and costs: Strengthening the integration and protection of marine carbon sinks
Wilderness and protected areas: integrating expansion, connectivity, and climate action
Forests: Greater adaptation and ecosystem-friendly use mean greater climate action
Agriculture: Humus formation and trees in the agricultural landscape
Settlement and transport areas: Enabling sustainable urban development
Advancing research, removing obstacles, creating planning security
Peatlands: Wetland management and exploiting the greatest potential for savings
The rewetting of drained peatlands holds enormous potential for climate mitigation. The WBNK recommends a target of rewetting around 80 per cent of these areas by 2045 – equivalent to around one million hectares. On only about 6 % of Germany’s agricultural land, this could save about one-third of emissions from agriculture and agricultural land use. To achieve this goal, financial incentives for farmers, new value chains for products from agriculture and forestry on rewetted peatlands (paludiculture) and suitable legal and institutional frameworks are urgently needed. The Advisory Board therefore recommends implementing “rewetting premiums” that attractively compensate for loss of income during the conversion and enable investment in the new use, as well as the very rapid completion of the funding guideline for agriculturally used peatlands (‘Palu’). Rewetting must also extend to other uses of peatland, such as forestry, to protect carbon storage and achieve a reduction potential of up to 40 Mt CO2eq per year by 2045. For the conversion from dry to wet peatland to be successful, simplified planning processes with simplified approval procedures and comprehensive participation of the people and stakeholders in the peatland-rich regions are also required.
Natural water bodies and floodplains: developing models and measures for near-natural water balance
The WBNK recommends revitalising floodplains by reconnecting them to watercourses to increase the carbon storage capacity of soil and vegetation. The restoration of water bodies is key to improving hydrological dynamics, which in particular enables floodplain forests to store more carbon, increases biodiversity, and counteracts flooding and droughts.
The development of models for a near-natural regional water balance is important in order to define targeted, effective measures and suitable project areas. Multifunctional land use and participatory approaches are necessary to overcome obstacles such as lack of available land or low acceptance. The Advisory Board advocates raising awareness of the diverse ecosystem services and synergies of floodplains and floodplain forests, for example in terms of groundwater recharge, nutrient retention, and landscape water balance. This should significantly increase the impact, acceptance, and efficiency of the measures.
Seas and costs: Strengthening the integration and protection of marine carbon sinks
For effective nature-based climate action, the WBNK recommends greater integration of land, coastal, and marine ecosystems, as their artificial separation hinders the sustainable management of carbon flows. The Advisory Board advocates measures such as the restoration of moorland and marshland, the protection of coastal forests, and the reintroduction of seagrass beds and oyster reefs, which promote carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and coastal protection at the same time. In order to fully exploit the potential of marine carbon sinks, the WBNK calls for concrete expansion targets, especially for the protection of the seabed, with the option of sequestering several Mt CO2 in the long term. The Advisory Board also recommends further technological development and economic evaluation of marine and terrestrial measures to better assess their efficiency and financial viability in the future.
Wilderness and protected areas: integrating expansion, connectivity, and climate action
To achieve the global target of 30 % protected areas on land and at sea by 2030, the WBNK recommends the targeted expansion, better networking, and multifunctional design of protected areas. The decisive factor here is not only the size of the area, but also its ecological integration into functional habitat networks. Climate change and climate action must be systematically integrated into protected area management. From a spatial planning perspective, sustainable implementation requires, above all, stronger anchoring in municipal land-use and landscape plans, prioritisation of areas with restoration potential, and consideration of climatic functional zones and ecological infrastructure such as field margins and riparian buffer strips.
Forests: Greater adaptation and ecosystem-friendly use mean greater climate action
Forests are indispensable for achieving the Federal Government’s climate targets. The WBNK recommends strengthening their adaptation to climate change, either through natural development where possible or active management where necessary. In old broadleaved forests in low-risk locations in particular, there is the option of sequestering more carbon in the forest through reduced timber use. If the Federal Government, states, and municipalities work together to achieve this, more than 110,000 hectares of old beech forests in Germany could be left untouched. This would enable additional CO2 savings of around 2 million tonnes per year. In addition, ecosystem-friendly forest management and soil protection, as well as the use of durable wood products, should be better rewarded. At the same time, incentives for using fresh wood for energy should be reduced. The Advisory Board proposes the establishment of a national Forest Future Commission and the reform of the Federal Forest Act. In this way, conflicts of interest between climate action, timber use, and biodiversity are to be resolved.
Agriculture: Humus formation and trees in the agricultural landscape
Agricultural soils offer great potential for climate action – primarily through the formation and preservation of humus and the cultivation of trees on agricultural land. Agroforestry systems – i.e. the establishment of trees and shrubs on arable and grassland areas – can make multiple contributions: they store CO2 (potential of up to 2.5 Mt CO2eq per year), make agriculture more resistant to drought, erosion, and extreme weather, and increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, they are currently rarely used due to a lack of economic incentives. The WBNK therefore recommends promoting climate-adapted cultivation methods such as agroforestry, strip and intercropping, and living mulch systems. The potential of permanent grassland to not only contribute to biodiversity but also sequester significant amounts of carbon deserves more attention and will form a component of follow up statement reports.
Settlement and transport areas: Enabling sustainable urban development
The WBNK recommends strengthening nature-based climate action in settlement areas through differentiated accounting in LULUCF monitoring, which records measures such as greening and unsealing and thus creates incentives for local authorities. Due to the high investment requirements in more than 10,000 municipalities, the Advisory Board considers it necessary to significantly increase existing funding programmes and link them to instruments such as urban development funding and municipal climate adaptation concepts. In addition, the legal framework should be improved, for example through an amendment to the Federal Building Code, and disincentives for unsustainable settlement development should be removed. Sustainable urban development is understood as a holistic task that encompasses ecological, social, and cultural aspects. The WBNK therefore recommends more resources and support for co-creative approaches that also include private land. In addition, the promotion of municipal incentive programmes for greening and unsealing, as well as practical research into cost-effective measures, such as urban wilderness areas, should be expanded.
Advancing research, removing obstacles, creating planning security
The development of improved approaches to measuring and modelling climate impacts enables timely performance monitoring and evaluation of measures. Further research gaps need to be closed, particularly with regard to assessing synergies with other ecosystem functions and the conservation of biodiversity. In addition, the implementation of effective Nature-based Solutions is currently being delayed by legal hurdles and complex planning procedures. In order to better exploit the potential, Nature-based Solutions should be integrated more strongly into sectoral and cross-sectoral planning. Simplification and consolidation of approval procedures are necessary, as is a clear structuring of processes. Integration into spatially relevant planning, for example through the establishment of acceleration and priority areas and central responsibilities, as well as an unbureaucratic, experimental funding practice accessible to all municipalities, are further important prerequisites for driving implementation forward. In addition, reliable methods for emission projections and accounting are crucial for making informed planning decisions.