Towards zero net land take in Europe

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis

Authors

Date

2024-05-20

Department

Major/Subject

Urban Studies and Planning in Real Estate Economics

Mcode

ENG3078

Degree programme

Master's Programme in Urban Studies and Planning

Language

en

Pages

61+1

Series

Abstract

Due to urbanization, agricultural growth, and infrastructure development, the land and its resources have been under increasing pressure, which is leading to biodiversity loss, ecosystem disruption, and land degradation. To tackle this universal problem, in 2011, the European Commission set a goal of "zero net land take by 2050" in its Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe. ZNLT's objective serves as a pillar to achieve environmental sustainability in the EU and help improve the EU's resilience to environmental challenges. This study investigates how ZNLT is acknowledged in five EU environmental strategies, i.e., EU Biodiversity Strategy,the EU Soil Strategy, EU Forest Strategy, EU Green Deal, and the Roadmap to Resource Efficient Europe. Data analysis of this study is conducted by integrating the grounded theory and thematic analysis. The finding of the study reflects a cooperative effort to address the complex challenges associated with land use and management. By integrating the principles of ZNLT into EU policies and strategies, the EU represents its contribution to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, sustainable development, and climate neutrality therefore supporting the environment to become resilien to. Moreover, through a detailed review of the literature, this study identifies diverse drivers of land take, which include, demographic, economic, socio-cultural, institutional, and policy factors. By understanding the drivers and impacts of land take, better policies can be made to achieve the ZNLT goal.

Description

Supervisor

Falkenbach, Heidi

Thesis advisor

Puustinen, Tuulia

Keywords

land take, zero net land take, urbanization, environmental sustainability, land use

Other note

Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202405263775

Collections

[dipl] Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu / ENG