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Role of NbS for Climate Change Adaptation in UK Policy
Just ahead of tomorrow's Climate Ambition Summit, this report considers the important role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in climate change adaptation policy for the UK and its fourteen overseas territories. The report was written by NbSI, in collaboration with WWF and RSPB; together we will work w [...] read more
On the misuse of nature-based carbon ‘offsets’
Nature-based solutions (NbS*) are being misused for greenwashing. Promoting NbS as carbon 'offsets' while continuing business as usual in fossil fuel use is not a solution to climate change. In fact, it can encourage continued or even increased fossil fuel consumption leading to more emissions o [...] read more

Recent national climate commitments from the big emitters

Over the last couple of months, some of the countries responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions have made enhanced climate commitments. However, progress on the ground has been limited and in Brazil’s case, backwards: – The top two highest emitting countries, China and the US, agreed in April that they are committed to [...] Read more
May 6, 2021

NDC updates: 82 Parties have submitted updated NDCs, with 75 enhancing ambition

When the Paris Agreement came into force, almost every nation made a written commitment to tackling climate change in the form of a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and agreed to enhance ambition over time. Parties were meant to submit updated NDCs by the end of 2020, but due to the pandemic this deadline was softened. To [...] Read more
May 6, 2021

Net zero commitments globally represent 61% of emissions

Oxford Net Zero, in collaboration with the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, have published a global assessment of net zero targets across all countries, all states and regions in the 25 highest-emitting countries, all cities with a population over 500,000, and all companies in the Forbes Global 2000 list. 769 (19%) of these parties have [...] Read more
May 6, 2021

NbS in Peru: Vanguard Country for Global Commission on Adaptation & National Climate Change Strategy update

Two important events in the past month have highlighted Peru’s commitment, ambition and leadership on climate action and NbS. First, as a “Vanguard Country” for the Natural Environment Action Track of the Global Commission on Adaptation, Peru played a key role in the Climate Adaptation Summit on January 2021. In this global event, Peru shared that [...] Read more
February 17, 2021

UK Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement

The UK submitted an updated NDC in December and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This equates to per capita emissions falling from around 14 tCO2e/person in 1990 to 4 tCO2e/person in 2030. This is more ambitious than the UK’s previous contribution, which was a [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

UK Adaptation Communication to the UNFCCC 2020

The UK submitted its first Adaptation Communication to the UNFCCC in December 2020, setting out its plans to prepare for the impacts of climate change in the UK and to support climate change adaptation overseas. The Adaptation Communication provides the following: An outline of the impacts of climate change in the UK, and the consequent risks and [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

USA re-joins the Paris Agreement: what does this mean for the future of the climate and nature-based solutions?

Donald Trump announced that the US would be leaving the Paris Agreement back in 2017, with the official withdrawal taking place in November 2020. This was part of a wider effort to dismantle US environmental policy, including loosening regulations on air pollution and endangered species protection. On Biden’s first day in office on January 20th [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

UK Nature Recovery Network launch

The beginning of November saw the launch of the new Nature Recovery Network (NRN), which aims to expand, improve and connect wildlife-rich places across towns, cities and the countryside in the UK. There is an emphasis on increasing connectivity between habitat patches, and planning land management to enhance other ecosystem services, such as carbon storage [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

The role of nature in the UK NDC

This report, from the RSPB and WWF based on analysis by Pete Smith and colleagues at the University of Aberdeen and with inputs from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative, makes science-based recommendations on how to include nature in an updated UK Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). Every Paris Agreement signatory has the chance to submit an updated [...] Read more
November 18, 2020

UK Environment Agency’s launches five-year plan

In July 2020 the Environment Agency published a new five-year strategy, embedding some of the environmental benefits seen during the pandemic. The plan includes a series of annual targets such as for river protection, habitat creation and emissions cuts, aiming to accelerate the UK transition to a nature-positive, climate-resilient future. Read more details in the [...] Read more
August 21, 2020

UN funding forest protection in Indonesia, despite rising deforestation rates

The UN’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $103 million of funding for forest protection in Indonesia, through the REDD+ programme. However, the Indonesian government promotes and engages in large-scale deforestation, with rates increasing during the pandemic. Therefore, the GCF has received widespread criticism for using inappropriate methodology for calculating avoided emissions and rewarding funding [...] Read more
August 21, 2020

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