Investing into green infrastructure makes sound economic sense – a single area of land can offer multiple benefits, provided its ecosystems are in a healthy condition. Such healthy ecosystems, which are powered by the diversity of life within them, provide society with a stream of valuable, economically important goods and services such as clean water and air, carbon storage, pollination, etc. They also play a central role in fighting climate change impacts by protecting against floods and other environmental disasters. This report introduces the general concept of green infrastructure and explains its relationship to Natura 2000, the EU-wide network of protected areas spanning all 28 EU countries. The report also presents a number of case studies and outlines the EU's Green Infrastructure Strategy.