"NbS advocates will need to consistently and tirelessly steer governments away from monoculture plantations for timber and biofuels, and promote species-rich ecosystems that sequester more carbon, reduce poverty, provide livelihoods, and restore hope."
As the UN Climate Summit and Climate Week
start, there is excitement and there is anxiety. This
year’s event is different from previous climate conferences and treaty
negotiations. Temperatures are soaring globally and wildfires are raging across Amazonia and Indonesia. Devastating storms and erratic weather are becoming a daily reality for
millions. Fear and apprehension are rising among the public, especially
among the young. Demands for action and systematic change are being made
across the globe. The alarms being sounded by Extinction
Rebellion and FridaysForFuture
are making a difference. Yesterday, millions of young people, my own included, marched for
their futures with Greta Thunberg at the helm. Climate Week can no longer afford to be just about education and advocacy for climate change policy, it must offer practical, ready-to-go
solutions and transformative emergency measures.
Solutions abound, but ones that deliver
multiple benefits for economies and ecosystems without causing all sorts of
unintended consequences are few. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are a powerful case
in point and a very hot topic during climate week this year. For the first
time, there is a dedicated Nature Climate hub, created by Nature4Climate,
and Climate Week will be bigger than ever.
The size of this hub reflects growing momentum for nature; its success will be measured in how seriously world leaders accept that NbS are fundamental to stabilising the climate and protecting economies and wellbeing.
The past few months have seen greater recognition of the essential role nature must play in any action we must take: the UN's Manifesto for Nature calls on all world leaders, in business and government, to "do all within their power to ensure that nature’s transformative potential is fully valued and realized in decision-making, especially in relation to climate action". NbS were also strongly endorsed in recent high-profile reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The leading approaches to climate change adaptation, as indicated by countries in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are nature-based solutions (in particular, conservation/restoration and agroforestry). One pressing issue is that most countries’ NDC neither include clear and measurable targets nor acknowledge the importance of local communities in designing and implementing NbS activities.
We need to get NbS priorities right as we build momentum
Fuzzy definitions and metrics are dangerous. Without scientifically rigorous and sound plans of action, governments and funding agencies relying on their
default positions of prioritizing export crops, foreign direct investment, and
using Nature-based Solutions to simply offset fossil fuel emissions. Pledges for natural
solutions in climate policy often translate into targets for afforestation of naturally
treeless ecosystems or reforestation with plantation monocultures of exotic
tree species. For example, 66% Bonn Challenge pledges basically involve planting trees and new crops. These fall far short of functioning landscapes where people can live and
work or where nature can flourish and support people. NbS advocates will need to consistently and tirelessly steer governments and business away from monoculture plantations for timber and biofuels, and promote
species-rich ecosystems that sequester more carbon, reduce poverty, provide
livelihoods, and restore hope. It will fall on climate advocates to put the
last first, do no harm, and ensure preferential treatment for the poor.
Advocates of NbS must learn from the past
Failures of the past should be remembered
as cautionary tales but not paralyze us. The Integrated Conservation and
Development Programs of the 1980s delivered bad outcomes for conservation and
poverty reduction; REDD+ as a carbon market mechanism disenfranchised
indigenous groups; and EU legislation meant to incentivize biofuels as
alternatives to fossil fuels led to the clearing of natural forests and the planting
of palm oil plantations. But not all examples from the past are so devastating.
The New Deal during the Depression and Dust Bowl mobilized tens of millions of
the unemployed to plant trees, build erosion control systems, repair roads, and
build hospitals, schools, and community centres. The Civilian Conservation
Corps, informally known as Roosevelt’s Tree Army, did reforestation and soil
conservation work to reverse drought, flooding, and desertification. The
workers received food, lodging, and medical care, and lifted their families out
of poverty. I am hopeful that The Green New Deal may show
us a way forward. Policies can benefit the natural environment, stimulate
investment in green infrastructure, and lead to greater justice and dignity for
workers.
Ecosystem stewards: the voice of indigenous peoples must be heard
Smallholder farmers, pastoralists, and
subsistence fishing communities make up the majority of people living in
poverty. Several organizations attending Climate Week represent these local indigenous
communities. The International Indigenous
Peoples Forum on Climate Change and the Local
Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform are two organizations at the
front lines of policy for the people. Their voices must be heard. Go to Nature Climate Hub for the full schedule of NbS related events at Convene
101 Park Avenue and Central Park Zoo Sunday 22nd to Wednesday 25th. Join me and my team for the Nature-based Solutions Initiative events on
23rd and 25th and/or our daily NbS Evidence Briefing in which
we’ll be showcasing evidence for the transformative impacts of Nature-based Solutions to climate change impacts. While we will be digging deeply into
scientific and policy minutia at times, we will keep in mind the families,
cultures, societies we are trying to protect and the biodiversity of which they are the stewards.
Working together
If your climate change angst is on the rise, you are not
alone. Climate Week will be intense, dramatic, thrilling, and exhausting. We need to be a supportive community to make the most of this opportunity.
May your trepidations be channelled into inspiring presentations, your blogs and
posts insightful, and your Tweets visionary. May you network like your life
depends on it. And may we all emerge with a clear vision of how we and our
organizations will change the course of history.
