ENPLC

The LIFE ENPLC project united landowners and conservationists to restore private land for nature and climate benefits across Europe.

Climate warming and the increasing loss of biodiversity constitute an existential threat to private land. The core objective of this project is to develop an EU-wide network of private land conservation practitioners leveraging innovative private land conservation tools to mitigate the damage and preserve the land’s value for the next generations.

To establish that sustainably the Conservation Landowners Coalition (CLC), a union between landowners and conservationists, was founded. 

The project is focusing on the most promising private landowner conservation tools (PLC tools), emphasizing conservation easements. 

We test and support their wider uptake, engage in the reform of supportive fiscal and other systems incentivising PLC, continue the development of PLC standards and practices, and help with the development of organisations and their networks dealing with PLC (following the US “land trust” model). 

We are working with volunteers and citizen scientists on voluntary private land conservation.

For communication purposes, PLC Ambassadors who showcase concrete actions, issues and solutions have been nominated. They personify the key values of Private Land Conservation.

A major achievement was the creation of the Conservation Landowners Coalition (CLC) by Eurosite and ELO, fostering trust and collaboration. As the project concluded in 2024, a final conference explored emerging trends, financial tools, and strategies for scaling up private land conservation. We were honored to welcome Charlie Burrell (Knepp Estate) as keynote speaker, highlighting one of Europe’s most inspiring conservation initiatives.

The project European Networks for Private Land Conservation (LIFE19 PRE/NL/000003) receives funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union.