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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Nature Based Solutions

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are ways of working with natural systems to both strengthen them while solving broader problems such as climate change but also health, social inclusion, and more. The opportunity that NbS offer to help tackle the climate crises, whilst also addressing the collapse in biodiversity, has gained increasing profile and attention. This is particularly with respect to the role of NbS in reducing emissions associated with land use and to enhancing natural climate sinks but can also include projects designed to deliver increased climate resilience. However, there remains significant confusion as to what exactly ‘counts’ as an NbS, how to deliver them successfully and what their exact potential is to contribute to solving climate change, alongside wider societal goals. This hub aims to help companies navigate NbS; setting ouFt the definition, opportunities and challenges, alongside how we can help companies on this journey.

 

 

 

Delivering Nature Positive: a new corporate tool to support the adoption of nature-based solutions (April 2022)

Hear from the creators of CISL tool ‘Decision Making in a Nature-Positive World’ as they discuss nature-based solutions, the
meaning of ‘nature-positive,’ and how the tool can help companies understand and adopt nature-based solutions. We were lucky to
be joined by experts from Associated British Foods and PepsiCo to provide the business perspective on this topic and understand how the themes addressed in the report can be applied to real-world situations. 

Advancing nature: Integrating nature-based solutions into corporate environmental strategies (April 2023)

CISL led a thought-provoking panel exploring how organisations can use nature-based solutions to protect and restore biodiversity and help meet climate and social targets. Experts from the FMCG, Built Environment, and NGO sectors shared their perspectives on moving from scoping to implementation, barriers and methods of overcoming these, and the important role of partnerships and collaboration in achieving maximum impact. Conversation also touched on the need to avoid greenwashing, the role of technology in this space, and whether nature-based solutions are always the best option.

 

 

Delivering Nature Positive: a new corporate tool to support the adoption of nature-based solutions.

Nature-based solutions are useful to deliver multiple wins to business, nature and people. They are currently not widely adopted by companies, indeed working with nature to help meet corporate climate goals or mitigate other risks in the value chain is still largely uncharted territory for most businesses and their senior leadership teams. More corporate projects throughout value chains will be essential to help deliver a net zero, nature-positive world. 

CISL recognises that, for some companies, approving the first nature-based solution project, including investing in regenerative agriculture, will present particular challenges due to the nature of these types of projects, particularly when it comes to quantifying expected benefits. With Support from the We Mean Business Coalition, CISL developed a diagnostic tool launched in March 2022 to help companies unlock investments in NbS within their value chains.

Our webinar hosted by CISL’s Dr Gemma Cranston and Adrian Greet alongside our panel of expert contributors Chris Brown (Group Head, Associated British Foods plc) and Andre Eitner (Senior Manager Regenerative Agriculture, PepsiCo) explored how businesses are progressing with their Nature-positive ambitions, views on overcoming challenges to implementing NbS as well as demonstrating how the diagnostic tool can help you. 

This event is part of CISL’s project to support business to #GetNBSready.

Find out more about our work with partners to deliver a net-positive future 

Nature-based solutions to climate change

Nature-Positive hub

Nature-related financial risks

Achieving Zero hub

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