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Box 3.1.Measures for sustainable land use could be further included in stimulus packages The OECD has reviewed the stimulus package introduced by government as a response to the COVID19 crisis and provided a number of recommendations for measures to consider. These include: •
Removing and repurposing some of the agricultural support subsidies potentially harmful to biodiversity (e.g. for fertiliser purchase) (OECD, 2020[57]).
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Maintaining and strengthening regulations on land-use (OECD, 2020[58]).
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Redirect government revenue from land-use related taxes (see sub-section on taxes) towards green stimulus measures that improve land use sustainability (OECD, 2020[58]).
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Using government-funded PES-type schemes to incentivise sustainable land use through improved farm management practices (OECD, 2020[30]). Investing in sustainable land use can help address the risks generated by biodiversity loss, while bringing other benefits to society (for instance, providing jobs and business opportunities) (OECD, 2020[58]). A recent study estimates that 20 000 to 70 000 full-time jobs would be generated if action is taken to restore 15% of degraded ecosystems in the European Union (OECD, 2020[58]; Dickie et al., 2017[62]). Benefits for business could include cost reductions, new business opportunities (with for instance ecotourism or certified sustainable products), higher market share and new companies in charge of ecosystem restoration for instance (OECD, 2020[58]).
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Taking into account land-use related trade-offs (see sub-section on coherent policy design) (OECD, 2020[30]).
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Better controlling land cover change especially surface artificialisation caused by urbanisation and agricultural land clearing (OECD, 2020[30]).
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Introducing or extending carbon pricing taking distributional impacts into account (OECD, 2020[30]).
Source: (OECD, 2020[58]; Dickie et al., 2017[62]; OECD, 2020[30]).
A key criterion that policymakers must consider is time frame: sustainable stimulus packages should address short and long-term challenges. In the short term, objectives include job creation and economic activity boost, while long-term objectives include long-term growth, resilience to future shocks, decarbonisation and sustainable growth trajectory.
Regulations Environmental regulations are a key component of policy packages to achieve sustainable land use. It is widely common for countries to issue regulations to discourage unsustainable input use, water use, land clearance and urban sprawls (OECD, 2018[49]). This section will address the use of land-use planning, urban containment policies, input use regulations and bans on natural resource use.
Land-use planning There is a wide diversity of issues covered by land-use related laws and regulations. In France, for instance there are four land-use related laws and several regulations covering issues from urban and tourism development to environmental protection (see Box 3.2).
