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Sustainable productivity: creating a framework for multifunctional land use
The natural capital of land affords us multiple benefits; from food production to climate change mitigation. Recent events such as extreme weather events, the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine war highlighted the need for resilience against global shocks. -
Protecting biodiversity and combating climate change: critical actions for a sustainable future
Climate change and biodiversity loss are deeply intertwined crises that are threatening the well-being of humans and nature, reducing Nature’s Contributions to People that sustain livelihoods, economies, and development prospects, as well as efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Failing to take action will increase human vulnerability, including poverty, food insecurity, displacement, and […] -
Going beyond market-based mechanisms to finance nature-based solutions and foster sustainable futures
We draw on recent research on the effectiveness, governance, and practice of NbS to highlight key limitations and pitfalls of a narrow focus on natural capital markets to finance their scaling up. -
Going beyond market-based mechanisms to finance nature-based solutions and foster sustainable futures
Investments in activities that exploit and destroy biodiversity and its ecosystems currently outweigh investments in restoration and preservation. Subsidies for extractive industries total 1.8 trillion USD per year, while the finance and funding gap for biodiversity is estimated to be up to 891.3 billion USD. To address the biodiversity funding gap, calls have been made […] -
New agenda for ecological research in the UK
A new report published today by the British Ecological Society sets out a research agenda for ecology over the next 25 years. The Future of Ecological Research in the UK report offers a broad, ambitious vision for ecological research in a rapidly changing world, identifying five key themes to advance our understanding of the response of […] -
UK public calls for urgent action to protect the natural world following the country’s first citizens’ assembly for nature
The People’s Plan for Nature has launched today and it calls for an urgent shift in our relationship with the natural world. The plan was created by the first ever UK-wide citizens’ assembly for nature and includes recommendations for renewing and protecting our natural environment. The plan comes after decades of damage have pushed wildlife […] -
Threatened woodlands in the UK highlighted in BBC’s Wild Isles
The rich biodiversity of the UK’s threatened woodlands were the feature of the latest episode of the BBC’s Wild Isles documentary. In the Scottish Highlands, the Caledonian pinewoods support majestic open-grown pines and broadleaf trees in mosaic habitats against a backdrop of mountains. The mild, wet influence of the Atlantic gives rise to temperate rainforest, […] -
A decentralized approach to model national and global food and land use systems
We have built a flexible, collaborative modeling framework to foster the development of national pathways by local research teams and their integration up to global scale. Local researchers independently customize national models to explore mid-century pathways of the food and land use system transformation in collaboration with stakeholders. -
Nature-based solutions can help support the levelling-up agenda
Natural green space plays a vital role in supporting human health and wellbeing while delivering many economic benefits, yet is overlooked in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill. Agile and NbSI researchers compiled evidence on the benefits of nature in and around urban areas for levelling up, to support recommendations on how to strengthen the bill. […] -
Applications open for NbS Policy Research Assistant
The Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) is now accepting applications for a new research assistant focused on financing and policy related to NbS in the UK. This individual will report to NbSI team member John Lynch and work on the Agile Initiative Sprint 3. Applications are due 31st March, 2023. The research assistant will carry out […] -
Embedding nature recovery in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
The evidence presented here shows the importance of providing more accessible nature-rich green spaces that benefits everyone, as a core part of levelling-up and regeneration. -
Mobilizing funding for equitable transdisciplinary research partnerships
The new Sentinel briefing on Funding equitable transdisciplinary research partnerships for societal impact is now out. NbSI team member Alexandre Chausson was a contributing author on this report which evaluates how designing, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of Nature-based Solution to tackle societal challenges rests on well-designed, transdisciplinary research. This briefing outlines ways in which we […] -
Agroforestry research: two fully-funded DPhil (PhD) NbSI positions (closing March 31st)
The NbSI has two new DPhil (PhD) roles available to start this coming autumn (2023), and the deadline to apply has been extended to midday on March 31st 2023. The two roles are part of the new FLOURISHING-LANDSCAPES programme and are fully-funded (inc. international students) and are supervised by Prof. Nathalie Seddon, Dr. William Thompson […] -
Increased success in large carnivore translocations and rewilding
A new study in the journal Biological Conservation, a team of researchers led by the NbSI’s Seth Thomas looked at factors which influence the success of large carnivore translocations and reintroductions. In their paper titled “Evaluating the performance of conservation translocations in large carnivores across the world” they examined the factors which can help influence the […] -
Sign up now for the Oxford Nature Recovery Symposium
This is the last chance to sign up for the Oxford Nature Recovery Symposium. There has been a recent surge of interest in the science of nature recovery in the UK. This has aligned with recent changes in national and international policy, such as the 2021 Environment Act and Town and Country Planning Act, and […] -
Applications now open for Ecology Research Assistant role
This role is based in Oxford, England and we are unable to sponsor visas for short term positions. This research assistant will join the the Agile Sprint 3 team, which is working on providing tools, evidence and policy guidance to scale up Nature-based Solutions in the UK. Reporting to Emily Warner, the research assistant will […] -
Urban nature-based solutions can be key tools for climate adaptation, but critical knowledge gaps still exist
In a new paper out in the journal Nature Sustainability, researchers explore the climate–biodiversity–society (CBS) nexus as it relates to the implementation of nature-based solutions (NbS) in the urban context. The article, Global mapping of urban nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation, looks at 216 urban interventions and 130 cities worldwide. The analysis focused on […] -
Farming and conservation organisations present a joint vision for food, farming and nature
A new declaration, co-created by farmers and conservationists, outlines intentions to align outcomes for food production, nature, and people across the UK agricultural landscape. A united outlook from organisations ranging from the RSPB, Woodland Trust and WWF to the Campaign for Rural England, Soil Association and Food, Farming & Countryside Commission provides hope for a […] -
Apply now to be the NbSI Communications and Outreach Officer
The Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) in the Department of Biology is seeking a Communications and Outreach Officer. The post holder will promote and share the research and other outputs of the NbSI, e.g. via social media and the NbSI website, translating scientific findings so that they are accessible to decision makers and the general public. […] -
UK government announces details of long-awaited green farming subsidy package for England
Late last week, long awaited details were announced by the UK government about the post-Brexit farm subsidy scheme for England that replaces the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The new program, known as the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), focuses on providing “public money for public goods” such as wildlife protection, clean water, climate […] -
Nature-Based Solutions from the Whitehouse Resource Guide Highlight Key Strategies for Climate Adaptation in the US
Prior to COP27 the United States (US) Biden-Harris Administration released a Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap; an outline of strategic recommendations for utilizing nature-based solutions (NbS) to address climate change, nature loss, and inequity in America. Alongside this release they also included the Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide , which highlights successful NbS case studies from across the […] -
Brazil’s President Lula launches renewed commitments to the environment as he begins his third term in office
On his first day in office Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued multiple measures to protect the Amazon and Indigenous people. These policies represent a return to many of Brazil’s previous environmental commitments as well as a renewed and improved dedication to indigenous rights within the country. This is promising news for the […] -
Nature-based solutions can play an important role in reducing vulnerabilities to climate change across the rural Global South
Woroniecki et al. 2022 A new paper by the NbSI team and lead by group member Stephen Woroniecki is out now in the journal Climate and Development, and it evaluates how nature-based solutions(NbS) are increasingly addressing societal challenges while also helping communities adapt to climate change. The article titled, Contributions of nature-based solutions to reducing […] -
Paying farmers to create wetlands and woodlands is the most cost effective way to reach UK environmental targets
Collas et al. 2022 A new study highlighted by the British Ecological Society shows that the most cost-effective way for the UK to reach its environmental goals is to pay farmers to create woodlands and wetlands. The government has made ambitious international commitments to halt and reverse nature declines by 2030 and to reach net […] -
Landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 agreed
The 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) concluded last week with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, or GBF for short, setting four overarching goals and 23 targets with the mission to take urgent action to “halt and reverse biodiversity loss” by 2030. The COP15 Presidency was […]