The BEFoRE (Benefits from Restoration) project led by IUCN in collaboration with the University of São Paulo (USP) and Iceland University, is an ambitious initiative funded by the Alcoa Foundation that seeks to advance global restoration knowledge and practice. Aligned with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, BEFoRE supports the global goal to restore 30% of degraded areas by 2030.
Focusing on how social and environmental factors shape restoration success, the project aims to translate research into practical guidance for integrating restoration within the mitigation hierarchy, including biodiversity offsetting strategies used by governments, the private sector and conservation organisations.
Through its three interconnected components – Research, Development and Outreach Programmes— BEFoRE monitors real-world restoration projects, develops accessible tools and resources for practitioners, and ensures that findings reach key end users. Together, these efforts foster collaboration across institutions and contribute to scaling up restoration initiatives worldwide.
The mitigation hierarchy is a framework used to anticipate and address impacts to biodiversity in the context of a development project, like a mine, road, or commercial plantation. It is usually applied as part of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) or Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The mitigation hierarchy can also be applied to value chains, but this policy brief only considers application to projects
Biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, posing a risk to the functioning of our societies and economies. The decline is due to a combination habitat loss, degradation, unsustainable land use, invasive species, and climate change. There is growing recognition of the need for a whole-of-society approach to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity, with bold commitments that go beyond compensating for the impacts of developments.
Given the urgency of the escalating climate and biodiversity crises, ecosystem restoration has emerged as a central response strategy — gaining momentum and political relevance worldwide. This momentum has sparked an unprecedented wave of international commitments, including the Bonn Challenge, large-scale national pledges, and United Nations’ declaration of 2021–2030 as the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. As a result, restoration
efforts are expanding in both scale and ambition, becoming a key pathway to recover ecosystems, meet
climate goals, and deliver broader sustainability outcomes.
This booklet aims to build bridges between ecosystem restoration practitioners and businesses seeking to undertake ecosystem restoration as part of their impact mitigation or nature positive goals.