BES Report on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change
The British Ecological Society’s 2021 report on nature-based solutions for climate change found that nature has enormous potential to fight climate change and biodiversity loss in the UK.
The report undertook a complete assessment of the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate climate change and benefit biodiversity in the UK. Incorporating contributions from over 100 experts, the comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence details the strengths, limitations and trade-offs of NbS in different habitats across the UK.
Despite the huge range of benefits NbS have, the report makes clear that they should be seen as complementary to other climate and conservation actions, not as a replacement to them, fitting with our developed guidelines for nature-based solutions:
- Not a substitute for decarbonization
- All ecosystems matter
- Led by local communities
The BES report provides examples of opportunities for NbS across a range of UK habitats, as well as discussion of some of the complexities involved in planning for NbS. The full scope can be explored further in the full report, while key points can be fund in the executive summary.