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Nature-based solutions support climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience
Working with nature to adapt, mitigate, transform, and thrive.
We live at the time of the ‘Polycrisis’ where compounding and cascading risks are magnified by climate change. The terms of mitigation, adaptation, and transformation are common in the EU, national, regional, and local policy landscapes. The Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience policy theme highlights how nature-based solutions (NbS) can be an active part of climate mitigation and adaptation policies. NbS help manage hazards which have a risk of occurring such as heatwaves, floods, and wildfires, while preserving or restoring the natural systems we rely on. By doing this, NbS are strengthening our communities by enhancing their resilience and capacity to adapt to change.
What can NbS do for you?
- Reduce climate risks and impacts (e.g. restoring floodplains to prevent flooding, coastal wetlands to buffer storm surges, urban trees to reduce heatwaves)
- Support climate mitigation by capturing and storing carbon (e.g. afforestation, peatland restoration, soil carbon sequestration in agriculture)
- Strengthen climate resilience of ecosystems and communities (e.g. restoring ecosystems to improve their adaptive capacity)
- Provide cost-effective alternatives to grey infrastructure (e.g. green roofs instead of cooling systems and natural water retention in cities)
- Deliver multiple co-benefits across sectors (e.g. improved air quality, biodiversity gains, water regulation alongside climate action)
- Enhance water management under changing climate conditions (e.g. wetlands for water storage and purification, river restoration to regulate flows)
- Improve health and well-being by reducing climate-related stressors (e.g. urban green spaces cooling cities and improving air quality)
Why do NbS matter to policy?
- Support integrated climate action by combining adaptation, mitigation, and resilience in a single approach.
- Provide cost-effective, flexible alternatives or complementary approaches to traditional grey infrastructure for managing climate risks.
- Help deliver on EU and global climate targets, including net-zero and adaptation strategies.
- Reduce long-term public spending by preventing climate damage and enhancing natural protection systems.
- Encourage cross-sector collaboration, linking climate policy with biodiversity, water, and urban planning.
- Engage communities and stakeholders in inclusive, locally adapted climate solutions.
What are the key EU policy instruments that support NbS for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Resilience?
EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change
The EU Adaptation Strategy provides a framework for building a climate-resilient Europe by integrating adaptation measures across sectors, governance levels, and planning processes. It strongly recognises NbS as cost-effective tools for climate adaptation, including ecosystem restoration, urban greening, and sustainable land and water management. By supporting knowledge sharing, capacity building, and investment, the strategy helps scale up NbS to reduce climate risks, strengthen resilience, and deliver wider benefits for biodiversity, communities, and economies.
The European Climate Law establishes legally binding climate neutrality targets for the EU, recognising the important role of natural carbon sinks and NbS in achieving climate mitigation and adaptation goals. It supports NbS through actions such as ecosystem restoration, carbon sequestration, and climate-resilient land management, while encouraging their integration into national adaptation strategies and climate planning. By creating a long-term framework for climate action, the law helps drive investment, coordination, and the use of NbS to reduce emissions, strengthen resilience, and deliver wider environmental and societal benefits.
EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)
The EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is a key instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by putting a price on carbon and incentivising emission reductions across major sectors. While it does not directly focus on NbS, it supports their implementation through the recognition of natural carbon sinks and the wider transition towards climate neutrality. By creating economic incentives for decarbonisation and generating revenues that can support climate action, the EU ETS can help mobilise investment in NbS such as ecosystem restoration, carbon sequestration, and sustainable land management.
Regulation on Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)
The LULUCF Regulation strengthens the role of land use, forests, and ecosystems in achieving EU climate targets by setting binding targets for increasing natural carbon removals. It strongly supports NbS by encouraging ecosystem restoration, sustainable land management, and the protection of carbon-rich ecosystems. By creating incentives for Member States to enhance natural carbon sinks, the regulation helps scale up NbS that deliver climate mitigation, biodiversity benefits, and greater ecosystem resilience, while highlighting the need for stronger action to close the gap towards 2030 targets.
The Floods Directive provides a framework for reducing flood risks and protecting people, economies, and ecosystems from the impacts of flooding. While it does not explicitly reference NbS, it strongly aligns with NbS approaches that restore natural water systems, such as floodplain restoration, wetlands, and natural water retention measures. By integrating NbS into flood risk management plans, Member States can strengthen climate resilience, reduce disaster risks, and deliver wider benefits for biodiversity, water management, and community well-being.
EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) strengthens sustainability reporting requirements for companies, increasing transparency on environmental, social, and governance impacts. While it does not directly focus on NbS, it creates an important opportunity to mainstream NbS by requiring businesses to assess and disclose their impacts, risks, and dependencies related to nature, biodiversity, and ecosystems. By improving corporate accountability and decision-making, the CSRD can encourage businesses to invest in NbS, support nature-positive practices, and integrate ecosystem considerations into their strategies and operations.
Integrated Framework for European Climate Resilience and Risk Management (In development by the EU Commission)
The Integrated Framework for European Climate Resilience and Risk Management is expected at the end of 2026. This Framework will promote a more coordinated, forward-looking approach to climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction; the framework creates opportunities to embed NbS into resilience planning. NbS can support risk prevention and adaptation by restoring ecosystems, reducing climate-related hazards, and delivering wider benefits for biodiversity, water management, and community resilience. The framework also highlights the importance of improved knowledge, coordination, and investment to scale up effective climate resilience measures across sectors and governance levels.
Policy resources for climate adaptation, mitigation and resilience
The policy resource database below provides a curated collection of policy resources that can help policy makers understand, implement and monitor NbS to support Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Resilience.