NbSI Research in the Spotlight
Getting the message right on nature‐based solutions to climate change was Global Change Biology's most-viewed article of 2024 with an impressive 23,232 views. February 5, 2025
Getting the message right on nature‐based solutions to climate change was the most-viewed article of 2024 in the leading environmental journal, Global Change Biology, with an impressive 23,232 views. Even four years after its publication, its message remains more relevant than ever.
Meanwhile, our 2020 paper, Mapping the effectiveness of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, ranked as the fifth most-viewed article in 2024, garnering 13,845 views. This continued interest underscores the growing recognition of nature-based solutions, both within the research community and beyond.
Why is ‘getting the message right’ so important?
Led by NbSI’s Director Nathalie Seddon and Senior Researcher Alison Smith, the 2021 paper highlights the pitfalls and promises of nature-based solutions and makes recommendations on how to ‘get the message right’ to ensure nature-based solutions meaningfully address climate change while supporting people and biodiversity locally.
Put simply, NbS involve working with nature, as part of nature, to address societal challenges, supporting human wellbeing and biodiversity locally. This may include protecting, restoring or managing a wide range of ecosystems.
However, while NbS have gained significant attention in recent years, much focus has been on tree planting for climate mitigation. This has raised concerns that it may distract from need to rapidly phase out fossil fuels and protect our existing ecosystems. Poorly designed and implemented projects also risk causing harm to Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and biodiversity, undermining their intended benefits.
Key principles for effective, ethical and sustainable NbS
In the paper, Seddon et al. (2021) urge policymakers, practitioners and researchers to follow four guiding principles:
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Guideline 1
NbS are not a substitute for the rapid phase out of fossil fuels and must not delay urgent action to decarbonize our economies.
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Guideline 2
NbS involve the protection, restoration or management of a wide range of natural and semi‐natural ecosystems; the sustainable management of aquatic systems and working lands; or the creation of novel ecosystems in and around cities or across the wider landscape.
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Guideline 3
NbS are designed, implemented, managed and monitored by or in partnership with Indigenous peoples and local communities through a process that fully respects and champions local rights and knowledge, and generates local benefits.
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Guideline 4
NbS support or enhance biodiversity, that is, the diversity of life from the level of the gene to the level of the ecosystem.
When implemented well, NbS have the potential to support transformative change, such as by providing pathways to sustainable economic recovery.
For more on these principles, view our NbS Guidelines page and perhaps become a signatory if you are apart of an organisation.
Beyond climate mitigation – NbS for climate adaptation
One of the key strengths of NbS is their ability to address multiple challenges simultaneously. For example, restoring ecosystems can boost resilience and reduce the impacts of climate change on people while also contributing to climate mitigation.
Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation, led by Alex Chausson and Beth Turner, produced the first global systematic map of evidence on the effectiveness of NbS for climate change adaptation, demonstrating the potential of NbS to build resilience to climate change.
What now?
As we enter a critical year for biodiversity and climate action, the wide reach of this paper’s message and principles is encouraging. Pressure is mounting to align policy and action on climate and biodiversity in the lead up to COP30 Belém. However, the integrity of NbS must remain a priority. By upholding the core principles outlined in this research, NbS can support meaningful action towards securing a safe and just future for humanity and all life on the planet.