Are Swedish stakeholders willing to protect nature?

Abstract: Biodiversity is declining in an unprecedented speed due to the fact that member states in the EU have tried but failed to protect biodiversity. Efforts have been made through voluntary commitments which have proven to be insufficient as targets are not met. The EU Commission has therefore proposed a nature restoration law which contains legally binding targets with the hope that this will put Europe back on track. The aim of the regulation is, inter alia, to restore 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030 and then all ecosystems in need by 2050. Only one country have official opposed the regulation, Sweden. This study provides an analysis of the responses made by a selection of stakeholders that the Swedish government consulted with before they made their decision. The aim of the study is to present a summary of who opposes or supports the regulation and the specific paragraphs. The results reveal that the majority of stakeholders are positive towards the regulation, however the same reservations that the Swedish government have can also be found among the stakeholders.