Nature Hires: How Nature-Based Solutions Can Power A Green Jobs Recovery, published today, confirms the potential of Nature-based Solutions to provide job-intense economic recovery while having a multiplier effect in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
As we entered 2020, the dual global crises of climate and nature loss were in the public eye as never before. Within weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic had triggered a third crisis, plunging countries around the world into recession as governments struggled to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus and prevent health systems becoming overwhelmed.
Nature-based Solutions offer an opportunity to create immediate “no harm” jobs, while at the same time supporting a transition to a greener and job-rich economy. They also enable better alignment and integration of agriculture and energy sectors with economic, employment, social, climate and biodiversity goals. Nature-based Solutions also provide a way to bridge the immense mental disconnect between residents of rural and urban areas.
Yet obstacles and constraints to scaling and main streaming Nature-based Solutions remain and conditions generated by the COVID-19 pandemic provide a unique opportunity to make much more rapid progress on the following enablers.
