Action Area 3 – Mainstreaming the role of R&I in NbS policy

Support better policy implementation of NbS from EU to local scales and integration in the EU regional policy. Stakeholder inputs highlighted the impression that there is knowledge available on NbS applications at the EU level, particularly through EU demonstration projects and access to a significant number of experts. However, this knowledge is not necessarily found to be reaching the Member States, at different national and local levels of governance, and policies rarely contain quantitative and measurable targets relating to NbS deployment or quality, which can present a barrier to their widespread implementation. Under this lever, R&I can be determinant in, e.g., the development of common grounds of prioritisation of biodiversity, ecosystem services and NbS at various administrative levels, as well as provide science-based advice for the implementation and monitoring of binding and non-binding EU policy targets, e.g. in the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030. An example would be providing evidence-based recommendations for assessing the potential and uptake of NbS in the upcoming national nature restoration plans or in the development and implementation of no-net loss approaches addressing urban and rural biodiversity via the urban green plans.

References

Davis, M., Abhold, K., Mederake, L. & Knoblauch, D. Nature-based solutions in EUropean and national policy frameworks. Deliverables 1.5, NATURVATION, Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No 730243. (2018).

De Vreese, R. Reviewing the knowledge on the importance of UF-NbS for resilient cities  (CLEARINGHOUSE Deliverable 1.2). (2021).

European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation et al. Nature-based solutions: state of the art in EU funded projects. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2020).

Assess and support the integration of NbS across sectors by proposing further research on opportunities, limitations, and mechanisms for cross-policy collaboration leading to increased uptake of NbS across environmental, social, and economic policies, e.g. bioeconomy, circular and nature positive economy, forestry, climate, health, education or agricultural policies, but also toward nexus between policies. Research can offer valuable guidance through e.g., cross-sector analyses of NbS incentives, or the development of science-based targets and governance frameworks for improved coherence across sector-specific policy objectives in supporting NbS. Consequently, results can also contribute to the adaptation of existing funding instruments and policies to promote and support NbS

References

European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. The vital role of nature-based solutions in a nature positive economy. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2022).

Seddon, N. et al. Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 375, 20190120 (2020).

Support to the further integration and reporting of NbS contributions to the EU policy is also an area of R&I identified as important, especially in stakeholder feedback. Collected examples include developing a framework for evaluating NbS against the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, the EU adaptation strategy to 2050, or streamlining NbS contributions to achieving its objectives, which could help strengthen systemic views on NbS integration throughout the EU but also international policy (see 3c).

Identifying supportive legal frameworks for innovation with and deployment of NbS at relevant scales. A meaningful deployment of NbS needs to be supported by appropriate policy instruments at the national as well as the regional and local levels, in correspondence with a long-term EU strategy and support for NbS, knowledge development and integration, as well as tailored guidance and tools for decision-making. Stakeholder consultations more specifically highlighted the need for clearer integration of and references to NbS in existing national legislative frameworks, e.g., in national building codes, national energy and climate plans, or national nature and landscape protection legislation, and in agricultural policy and funding. In this context, knowledge gaps related to availability of information on the policy and financial incentives and instruments for NbS implementation (including legal, economic, collaboration and awareness raising instruments) and their effectiveness, e.g., for urban governments, or identifying policy instruments to stimulate the demand for NbS, and what criteria to apply in this regard, addressing the challenge of grey, engineered interventions still being the default approach.

References

European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. The vital role of nature-based solutions in a nature-positive economy. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2022).

European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation et al. Nature-based solutions: state of the art in EU-funded projects. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2020).

Naumann, S., Röschel, L. & Davis, M. City-level policy and institutional frameworks - A supporting or hindering factor for green and blue infrastructure? Insights from five ENABLE cities. Task 2.3, ENABLE. (2018).

Seddon, N. et al. Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. B Biol. Sci. 375, 20190120 (2020).

Identifying and developing collaborative governance systems that enable the successful delivery of multiple NbS benefits, e.g., toward climate goals such as Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, and actively engaging R&I alongside practitioners, policy makers, NGOs and local residents in the design, planning, implementation and assessment of NbS. Expert consultations also brought forward recommendations for innovative approaches, in developing governance systems to overcome administrative and sectorial silos. Specifically, such comments point to a need for governance models that enable multiple government agencies, with different agendas, spatial scales, and capacities, to efficiently develop and implement collaborative NbS plans and actions.

References

European Environment Agency. Nature-based solutions in Europe policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2021).

Raymond, C. M. et al. An impact evaluation framework to support planning and evaluation of nature-based solutions projects: prepared by the EKLIPSE Expert Working Group on nature-based solutions to promote climate resilience in urban areas. (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, 2017).

Contributing to the development of a vibrant NbS knowledge-based economy. This relates to the role of EU R&I in the development of standardised methodologies and metrics for assessing and monitoring NbS, e.g., work of CEN/CENELEC with the IUCN Global Standard on NbS – IUCN 2020 and future integration in ISO standards. By establishing common frameworks for evaluating NbS performance, this would facilitate comparison and knowledge sharing across different projects and regions, help prevent misuse of the term, and allow the identification and assessment of international financing, value-chains and markets underpinning NbS deployment and effectiveness. Expert consultations further highlighted ​​the role of R&I in identifying policy and financial mechanisms detrimental to NbS and raising awareness of their existence (to hopefully suppress them), which is needed for achieving transformative change.

References

European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. The vital role of nature-based solutions in a nature-positive economy. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2022).

Advancing the knowledge base on NbS to further support discussions on the concept in international policy agendas, providing evidence of the multiple benefits of NbS, where relevant. This lever builds on the role for research in streamlining and communicating the analysis of policy frameworks, barriers and opportunities for integrating NbS into international agendas. More efforts are required to further develop and integrate this knowledge base at the global level and help identify effective approaches to the transfer, replication, and upscaling of NbS as well as knowledge. Key avenues in this context relate to the advancement of knowledge on the role of biodiversity in supporting the delivery of ecosystem services, and on the linkages between NbS, biodiversity and climate, health, and circular and nature-positive economies. Integration of knowledge and evidence on NbS at EU and global scales is also clearly identified as need at the wider science-policy interface on biodiversity, with major initiatives on biodiversity data harmonisation identifying NbS as one of the key topics to work on (e.g. in developing the Science Service for the European Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity).

References

Davies, C., Chen, W. Y., Sanesi, G. & Lafortezza, R. The European Union roadmap for implementing nature-based solutions: A review. Environ. Sci. Policy 121, 49–67 (2021).

European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation et al. Nature-based solutions: state of the art in EU funded projects. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2020).

Establishing links between NbS and the implementation of international policy concepts and objectives, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is already the subject of some work and can be further developed to support references to NbS approaches in international agendas. NbS are acknowledged as important actions for the achievement of multiple GBF targets, most importantly targets 8 and 11 (related to climate change and regulating services, respectively), but also for achieving target 3 on the protection of 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030 and target 4 on the restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems. Expert contributions especially point to further exploring the potential of NbS knowledge exchange as elements of national, European, and international policies in support of nature positive practices throughout global value chains leading to increased global resilience to food and other crises. Also, mobilisation of R&I contributions to the design and implementation of relevant and emerging policy initiatives, such as the UN Decade in Ecosystem Restoration, as well as future processes driven by multilateral agreements (e.g., CBD, BBNJ, UNFCCC, UNCCD), is also a significant lever to generate adhesion to the concept and achieve an ambitious global NbS agenda.

References

European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation et al. Nature-based solutions: state of the art in EU-funded projects. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2020).

European Environment Agency. Nature-based solutions in Europe policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. (Publications Office of the European Union, 2021).

Maes, M. J. A., Jones, K. E., Toledano, M. B. & Milligan, B. Mapping synergies and trade-offs between urban ecosystems and the sustainable development goals. Environ. Sci. Policy 93, 181–188 (2019).