Background
The Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) is part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy adopted in 2020, which aims to halt biodiversity loss and reverse the decline in biodiversity by 2030. The objective of the regulation is to improve the state of nature across various habitats, including urban environments. A national restoration plan outlining the implementation and monitoring of the regulation must be submitted to the European Commission by 1 September 2026.
Article 8 contains two key requirements. First, by 2030, the amount of urban green space and tree canopy cover in urban ecosystem areas must not decrease compared to 2024 (i.e., there must be no net loss in the total national area). Urban ecosystem areas may be excluded from this assessment if the share of urban green space in the area exceeds 45% and tree canopy cover exceeds 10%. In addition, the amount of urban green space and tree canopy cover must show an increasing trend: from 2031 onwards, there must be a positive development in the total national area of urban green space (including green integrated into buildings and infrastructure), as well as in the tree canopy cover of each urban ecosystem area, until a so-called satisfactory level is reached. Compliance with these requirements will be measured every six years starting in 2031.
The obligations apply to densely populated municipal areas (UCC areas) and to municipalities where more than half of the population lives in such areas—estimated to be around 60–70 municipalities in Finland. Urban ecosystem areas may be excluded from the assessment if the share of urban green space in city centers and urban clusters exceeds 45% and tree canopy cover exceeds 10%.
Objectives
This project aims to assess satisfactory levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover to support the implementation of Article 8 of the Nature Restoration Regulation. The objectives are to:
• Calculate the baseline levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover for all Finnish municipalities with UCC areas, using three different delineation methods and the most up-to-date data sources available
• Examine the differences and quality of various data source.
• Identify, based on existing national and international knowledge, approaches for defining and assessing satisfactory levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover.
• Explore, based on existing data, potential qualitative targets
• Produce assessments of different options for satisfactory levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover using various delineations of urban ecosystem areas.
• Provide proposals, with justifications, for national satisfactory levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover
Outcomes
In the first part of the work, calculations were produced on the amounts of urban green space and tree canopy cover, along with maps of municipalities estimated to fall under the scope of the Nature Restoration Regulation. The results were presented to Thematic Group 3 on urban environments, which is guiding the preparation of the national restoration plan, in May 2025, and in a webinar organized by the Ministry of the Environment for municipalities and regions in June 2025.
In the second part of the work, the above-mentioned calculations were updated using more recent data sources. In addition, factors influencing the ecological quality of urban green space and tree canopy cover are presented, along with expert- and research-based approaches for defining and assessing satisfactory levels of urban green space and tree canopy cover at the national level. A proposal for the definition and criteria of a “satisfactory level” is also provided. Furthermore, solutions for potential qualitative targets are presented.
The final project report (in Finnish) can be found from the Finnish project site, below are links to the web maps presenting the levels of urban green space (2023) and tree canopy cover (2021). The web maps display the municipalities assumed to be covered by the Nature Restoration Regulation, as well as the calculated shares (%) of urban green space and tree canopy cover within Urban Centre Cluster (UCC) areas and UCC + 1 km buffer zones.
Links to other projects
The project utilized the data and results from previously completed and ongoing projects. In addition, collaboration was carried out with the Development of Coordinated Urban Green project under the MAL network, as well as with experts from other research organizations (Syke, Luke, University of Helsinki, Aalto University). Throughout the project, close dialogue was maintained with the Ministry of the Environment and Thematic Group 3 of the restoration plan preparation process.