New £12.5m pilot programme on NbS for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale in the UK
Monday 26 Jul 2021
A new Defra – BEIS project on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale has been announced, supported by the UK Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund and led by Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and RBG Kew.
- Natural England will manage the project, including identifying the pilot study areas, establishing relationships with local partners and learning how best to support them in delivering NbS and the factors that make it easier or harder for them to do this.
- The Environment Agency will work with the pilot areas to develop new governance and blended funding models for landscape scale action, which will provide a mechanism for managing our environment in a more holistic and integrated manner.
- Kew will undertake high resolution research into the ability of biodiverse habitats to sequester carbon at its Wakehurst site in Sussex.
- The Forestry Commission will contribute its expertise in developing robust carbon standards, as well as facilitate and advise on woodland creation grant proposals in the pilot areas.
A toolkit will be developed providing methodology for implementing a systems-approach for recovery of landscapes, incorporating blended funding, and ensuring new markets help achieve the multiple outcomes we want from our natural assets.
The evidence produced by this project will help towards delivery of the UK government’s 25 Year Environment Plan and carbon net zero goals. Full details can be found on the Natural England announcement web-page.
