The Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity supports policymaking by

Developing tools that support the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy, including its global dimension;
Identifying, filtering and structuring relevant information and making it accessible bringing together researchers, policy-makers, NGOs, industry and citizens;
Analysing, synthesising available evidence and communicating it in a transparent, tailored and concise manner.

Biodiversity
Objectives

As mandated in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Commission established in 2020 the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) in close cooperation with the European Environment Agency. The Strategy foresees that the KCBD will:

track and assess progress by the EU and its partners including in relation to implementation of biodiversity-related international instruments;
foster cooperation and partnership, including between climate and biodiversity scientists; and
underpin policy development.

The KCBD is co-chaired by DG Environment and the Joint Research Centre and it is steered by a committee with members from four other Commission services and the European Environment Agency. The KCBD is establishing a close cooperation with other Commission services and with a broad range of research networks and collaborators.
Outputs

Some of the KCBD products are:

Relevant information (policy summaries and additional resources) about how different sectors affect or are affected by biodiversity. We keep adding new themes based on policy priorities and on the development of new analyses. Explore 'Topics' in the top menu.
The research-policy link explorer to find links between EU funded research and specific policy goals. Explore 'Tools' in the top menu.
The new mechanism tracking progress on the implementation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy: an action tracker, a dashboard and (coming soon) a catalogue of indicators. Explore 'Tools' in the top menu.
A new technical and practitioners’ forum, where a limited number of ad hoc groups will provide fast and practical support on priority policy questions. The first ad hoc group on “biodiversity financing” will propose an indicator to monitor the target of unlocking at least €20 billion a year for spending on nature.
A glossary of commonly used terms in biodiversity policies as defined by EU bodies. Explore 'Resources' in the top menu.

The KCBD is part of the broader Knowledge4Policy (K4P) initiative that supports evidence-based policymaking: bridging the world of policy-makers (who ideally develop public policy based on sound scientific evidence) and of scientists (who develop that evidence in the first place).

Land degradation and desertification (UNCCD and other)
Land degradation and desertification are issues of both global and EU concern. Combating them and restoring degraded land are urgent global priorities for protecting biodiversity. Land use change is the foremost direct driver of biodiversity loss with the largest relative global impact. There is great potential for cost-effective synergies between targets for land degradation neutrality (LDN) and biodiversity conservation in terms of design, implementation, financing and monitoring.
The EU and its MS are among the 197 Parties to the UNCCD, the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. In 2017 the UNCCD adopted its 2018-2030 Strategic Framework focused on achieving the SDG target 15.3 on combating desertification and restoring degraded land and soil. The EU works with UNCCD partners towards improving living conditions of dryland populations, land and soil productivity and resilience against drought. The EU also supports the global Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative established in 2011 to improve awareness of the economic dimension of land and sustainable management.