Brief: NetworkNature Semester - Nature-based Solutions and Standards

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have the potential to tackle many of the the wicked problems
we are faced with, namely climate, biodiversity and land degradation crises while
delivering on sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the many complementary goals on
the European and international policy level such as the EU Missions, EU Green Deal, Post
2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, UN Decade on Ecosystem restoration.

However, to meet this potential and to deliver a tangible impact towards the
European/international/national policy targets, NbS need to be upscaled and embedded in
all planning and implementation processes and practices and carefully scrutinised regarding
the potential synergies as well as trade-offs.

Upscaling of NbS is very much at the core of discussions in the field of research and
practice nowadays, nevertheless there is still a lack of (standard) technical and operational
skills, knowledge, finances and market uptake as well as apt governance models for those
wanting to implement and construct NbS (e.g. local governments).

Although research has built vast evidence on the co-benefits and relevance of NbS to
support climate adaptation and mitigation measures and enhance resilience, there needs to
be a leapfrogging of NbS from Research to Market, from niche to mainstream as well as
strengthening maintenance and governance aspects. There is a need to create market
conditions to match the growing demands with good, suitable and, where helpful,
standardised quality supply of NbS. But what is this ‘quality’ we are talking about and why?
And how can we define it? Read this brief to learn more.

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