Nature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions are approaches that use natural ecosystems to address climate change, including afforestation, peatland restoration, mangrove protection, and regenerative agriculture, which sequester carbon while providing biodiversity and social co-benefits.
What is Nature-Based Solutions?
Nature-based solutions (NBS) harness the carbon sequestration capacity of natural ecosystems to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Trees absorb CO₂ through photosynthesis, peatlands store vast quantities of carbon in waterlogged organic matter, oceans and wetlands serve as carbon sinks, and healthy soils accumulate organic carbon through regenerative agricultural practices.
NBS are attractive because they deliver multiple co-benefits beyond carbon: biodiversity enhancement, flood risk reduction, water quality improvement, recreation, and community livelihoods. However, they face challenges around permanence (forests can burn, peatlands can dry out), measurement uncertainty, and competing land-use pressures.
In the voluntary carbon market, NBS projects (particularly REDD+ and afforestation) represent a significant share of available credits. The UK government has launched initiatives such as the England Woodland Creation Offer and the Peatland Action Programme. Corporate buyers increasingly invest in NBS as part of their net zero strategies, typically to address residual emissions after deep reductions.
Practical Examples
A UK company invests in peatland restoration in the Scottish Highlands, preventing the release of stored carbon and generating biodiversity credits alongside carbon benefits.
A retailer funds a REDD+ programme in the Amazon that protects 50,000 hectares of rainforest, purchasing carbon credits for its residual emissions.
A property developer incorporates green infrastructure (street trees, green roofs, rain gardens) into its masterplan, sequestering carbon and managing flood risk simultaneously.
How Climatise Helps
Climatise helps organisations quantify their residual emissions after reductions, guiding the appropriate scale and type of nature-based investment needed as part of a credible net zero strategy.
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