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Description coming soon — The updated IUCN Global Standard aims to strengthen clarity, usability and safeguards for NbS implementation.

New Global Benchmark for NbS: IUCN Launches Updated Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) launched the Second Edition of the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions at the 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. By strengthening scientific rigour, social safeguards and practical usability, the updated Standard provides a stronger foundation for scaling credible, high-quality NbS worldwide.

28 October 2025

Climate change and weak policies endanger Brazil’s Cerrado endemic flora

Brazil’s Cerrado, one of the most biodiverse savannas on Earth, is already suffering record levels of land conversion and now faces intensifying climate pressures like extreme drought. A new study warns that, without stronger conservation policies, the combined forces of climate change and habitat loss could drastically reshape the distribution of the Cerrado’s threatened endemic flora by 2050.

08 October 2025

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Key Concerns and Recommendations

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords, has far-reaching implications for biodiversity, local democracy, and community wellbeing. We have prepared a briefing note to highlight priority amendments to make the Bill less damaging and more nature-positive.

05 September 2025

Aerial shot over the Amaxon — A new study shows how the EU climate neutrality strategy may undermine nature-based mitigation goals in the Global South. Photo by Aline Soterroni.

Potential Impacts of the EU’s carbon dioxide removal strategy for Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities

Land-based carbon dioxide removal options like Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) have strong emphasis in the EU’s roadmap to net zero, but at what cost? Taking Brazil as a case study, a new paper explores the potential environmental and social consequences of the EU’s CDR strategy beyond its boundaries.

27 August 2025

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Tree planting on the agenda

Late 2019 saw a surge of interest in tree planting. For example, during the December election campaign in the UK, political parties competed over how many trees they would plant if they were elected. Labour pledged to plant 2 billion trees by 2040; if extended to 2050 this would cover 25% of total land area […]

13 January 2020

COP25, Madrid

For two weeks in December, delegates from across the world met in Madrid for the 25th Conference of the Parties (COP25). Despite being set against a backdrop of growing public demand for immediate climate action, this meeting saw disappointing progress. Only 80 nations committed to increasing ambition in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) i.e. commitments […]

13 January 2020

UK Government Environment Bill

In October 2019, the UK Government introduced a landmark Environment Bill, which will come into action when the country leaves the European Union. It includes measures to improve air and water quality, reduce plastic pollution, and restore natural habitats. A new Office for Environmental Protection will be established, which will ensure that environmental standards are […]

13 January 2020

Project Seagrass – restoring seagrass as an NbS in the UK

Despite being the most overlooked marine habitat, seagrass meadows provide a number of important ecosystem services: they are nurseries for young fish that support about 20% of the world’s largest 25 fisheries, they sequester carbon about 35 times faster than tropical forests, they reduce coastal erosion, and are unique, biodiverse ecosystems. Of the UK’s 155 […]

13 January 2020

Floating agriculture in Bangladesh

During our NbS workshop in Bangladesh, we learnt about floating agriculture – a traditional practice that is going to scale in Bangladesh, allowing farmers to maintain or increase agricultural productivity and nutritional diversity in the face of increased monsoon season flooding. It involves weaving together plants, most commonly the invasive water hyacinth, to form floating […]

13 January 2020

Impacts of forests and forestation on hydrological services in the Andes: A systematic review

Bonnesoeur et al (2019) Forest Ecology and Management This paper is a synthesis of 155 studies on the effects of afforestation (tree-planting on naturally non-forested land) in the Andes on hydrology, erosion and landslide reduction. In contrast to public perception in the Andes, the review found that, overall, non-native tree plantations, and to a lesser […]

13 January 2020

Nature-based innovation systems

van der Jagt et al (2019) Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions To build a sustainable world, transformation across many sectors is required and technology is thought to play a major enabling role. This has prompted the development of the Technological Innovation System framework, which focuses on the relationship between the social and technological systems. In […]

13 January 2020

Oyster breakwater reefs promote adjacent mudflat stability and salt marsh growth in a monsoon dominated subtropical coast

Chowdhury et al (2019) Scientific Reports Three self-sustaining breakwater oyster reefs were established on an eroding mudflat on Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh. Over four seasons, it was found that the 0.6m-high reefs attenuated wave energy by 95-100% when water levels were up to around 0.5m, whilst wave energy was partially dissipated with water levels of 0.5-1.0m […]

11 January 2020

PODCAST: COP25 – what just happened?

Nat Seddon featured in a ‘reaction’ episode from Futuremakers to discuss what was decided in Madrid, where hope lies and what needs to happen to make COP26 in Glasgow a success in 2020. Listen here.

20 December 2019

PODCAST: Nature or technology to address climate change?

In the latest Futuremakers podcast, Nat Seddon discusses the pros and cons of NbS vs. technology with Oxford colleagues Jim Hall and Helen Gavin.

08 December 2019

NbSI director on UK political debate

For the first time ever, UK political parties took part in a debate on climate change in the runup to the December 2019 general election. The Conservative Party did not attend, but the remaining major political parties presented positive views and policies with respect to climate change. Prof Nathalie Seddon was one of three scientific […]

28 November 2019

IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

This latest IPCC report describes observed and projected impacts of climate change on our oceans, coastal zones, and cryosphere (polar and mountain ecosystems), and the human communities that rely on them. It reports widespread shrinking of ice sheets, glaciers, and reduction in snow cover, and the associated rise of global mean sea level. Such changes […]

18 November 2019

Climate Change and Land: An IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems

This IPCC report highlights the importance of our lands as both a source and a sink for GHGs. It estimates that around 23% of total GHG emissions are derived from the way we currently use land (agriculture, forestry, and other uses), while natural land processes absorb 29% of total CO2 emissions. The report assesses how […]

18 November 2019

Core principles for successfully implementing and upscaling Nature-based Solutions

Cohen-Shacham et al (2019) Environmental Science and Policy As NbS gain traction in environment and climate policy it is vital that the term is used and applied consistently. With the goal of improving the operational framework for NbS, this paper compares IUCN’s preliminary “NbS Principles” to those of five other ecosystembased concepts (the Ecosystem Approach, […]

18 November 2019

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