Competing narratives of nature-based solutions: Leveraging the power of nature or dangerous distraction?

Harnessing the potential of nature-based solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change

“…What remained was a commitment by the Pact's 197 signatories to recognize "the critical role of protecting, conserving and restoring nature and ecosystems in delivering benefits for climate adaptation and mitigation, while ensuring social and environmental safeguards" (5). Although it could be claimed that nature-based solutions were included in all but name, CoP26 revealed that while many organisations and governments are embracing the approach as an essential tool for tackling climate change, others, particularly grass roots organisations, have dismissed it as a dangerous distraction from systemic change (6). Contrasting narratives partly reflect uncertainty in the underlying evidence as well as controversies on how nature-based solutions are conceptualized and implemented.…”

“…As a result, some have dismissed nature-based solutions as a "dangerous distraction" from the urgent need to keep fossil fuels in the ground that has been co-opted by those wanting to perpetuate the "unsustainable, unjust status quo" of an energy-intensive global economy (6). Specifically, many of the biggest emitters (such as fossil fuel companies and the wealthy nations that subsidise them) invest in activities badged as nature-based solutions as part of their net-zero carbon plans without also investing in robust plans to rapidly decarbonize their operations (43).…”

“…A second major concern is that actions badged as nature-based solutions are sometimes implemented through top-down governance structures that do not respect local rights; fail to account for local voices, values and knowledges in decision-making; and perpetuate power asymmetries (6). For example, there is evidence that poor quality 'carbon offsets', such as plantations of single, non-native tree species, are leading to land grabs.…”

“…Projects that ignore their knowledge and rights are therefore both unethical and unlikely to be maintained over the long term (2,45). A related concern is that nature-based solutions are instrumentalizing cultural practices and commodifying nature, thus violating many people's values and worldviews; this issue underpins pushback against the term "nature-based solutions" by some Indigenous People and local community groups (6).…”

“…In particular, there is strong agreement that nature-based solutions must be designed, implemented and monitored by or in close partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, reinforcing local rights and delivering benefits for local people. However, more clarity is needed on how the concept of nature-based solutions can align with indigenous and local values and worldviews and in particular, that they should not represent a commodification of nature (6). Nature-based solutions need to be understood as ways of working with and as part of nature and framed in a way that ensures multiple values of nature are respected.…”