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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

Why efforts to address climate change through nature-based solutions must support both biodiversity and people

In an essay published by the Royal Society, NbSI Director Nathalie Seddon describes the potential of working with nature to address the causes and consequences of climate change and discusses why NbS must be designed, implemented and adaptively managed by or in partnership with local communities to provide measurable benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem health. [...] Read more
March 1, 2021

Evaluating nature-based solutions for climate mitigation and conservation requires comprehensive carbon accounting

Keith et al. 2021 Whilst the science is clear that nature-based solutions have high potential for contributing to climate change mitigation, there remains uncertainty and confusion as to how to estimate this potential for a given project. This paper highlights that carbon accounting has often missed important aspects of the carbon cycle, and has predominantly focused [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

Transdisciplinary science for improved conservation outcomes

Margules et al. 2020 Although the goals of conservation are clear, there is still much progress to be made on how to achieve those goals, balancing local aspirations with environmental values. One of the overarching reasons has been that conservation has often overlooked the complex social, economic, and political context in which conservation actions take place. [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

Ten golden rules for reforestation to optimize carbon sequestration, biodiversity recovery and livelihood benefits

Di Sacco and Hardwick et al. 2021 Over the past year a growing number of tree planting pledges have been made and projects initiated, most often motivated by contributing to climate change mitigation. Such investments in nature are welcomed by the nature-based solutions community, and if well designed and implemented they should contribute significantly to carbon [...] Read more
February 12, 2021

Getting the message right on nature-based solutions

The role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in tackling the climate and nature crises has gained the world’s attention. They were high on the agenda at the World Economic Forum and the Climate Adaptation Summit last week, and will continue to be a central topic of discussion in the wake of COVID-19 and in the run-up [...] Read more
February 1, 2021

The economic costs of planting, preserving, and managing the world’s forests to mitigate climate change

Austin et al. 2020 It is now well established that forest protection, restoration, management and creation play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. This paper estimates the costs of such actions, and the amount of forest-based climate change mitigation that could be funded by different carbon prices. They find that a carbon price of $281 [...] Read more
December 10, 2020

Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity

Grantham et al. 2020 The effects of human activities on forests goes beyond deforestation – forests that are still standing are often disturbed by humans as well. This study generated a global map of forest condition, using an index of forest integrity on a continuous scale from 0 to 1. The forest integrity index acts as [...] Read more
December 10, 2020

Climate reverses directionality in the richness–abundance relationship across the World’s main forest biomes

Madrigal-González et al. 2020 It is critical that forest restoration is informed by the best possible science, to maximise carbon storage and other benefits over the long term. There are two competing hypotheses about whether the number of tree species or tree abundance is more important for maximising forest carbon storage. This study tested these hypotheses [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

The greenhouse gas offset potential from seagrass restoration

Oreska et al. 2020 Seagrass meadows are highly productive systems that bury organic carbon in sediment. This study is the first to quantify net greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere from seagrass restoration. The authors measured all the necessary greenhouse gas parameters in the 7km2 of restored eelgrass meadow in Virginia, USA, finding that the restoration [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

Strengthening synergies: how action to achieve post-2020 global biodiversity conservation targets can contribute to mitigating climate change

De Lamo et al. 2020 This report looks at how much climate change mitigation would be achieved if we meet biodiversity conservation targets. It is the first output of ongoing research on this topic, and uses information on carbon stocks in locations that have been identified as priorities for meeting biodiversity targets. The report finds that [...] Read more
November 30, 2020

Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration

Strassburg et al. 2020 It is of critical importance that multiple different outcomes of ecosystem restoration are considered when deciding where and how to restore; failure to do so can lead to detrimental trade-offs between outcomes. This study assessed the effects of ecosystem restoration on both biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration, quantifying how this varies at [...] Read more
October 14, 2020

Mapping carbon accumulation potential from global natural forest regrowth

Cook-Patton et al. 2020 Estimating how much carbon is taken up by growing forests, and what the global climate change mitigation potential of reforestation is, has been a topic of much debate for the last few years. This study provides the latest estimate of carbon accumulation over the first 30 years of regrowth of natural [...] Read more
September 23, 2020

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