This paper examines and challenges assumptions made about claims of nature’s mitigation potential. The term “nature-based solutions’ (NbS) is increasingly attracting attention and use, with particular emphasis placed on how nature can “solve” climate change. Based on a recent article by The Nature Conservancy, ‘nature’ or NbS can meet 37% of the global mitigation goal under the Paris Agreement. Further estimates range between 30 and 37 per cent, or “around/approximately one-third”. Experts have, however, raised concerns about this assumption and the methodology used to calculate this data, warning of an overestimation of actual mitigation potential. The paper concludes that “it is certainly critical to conserve biodiversity and natural ecosystems for many reasons, including because of the role they can play in both mitigation and adaptation, but this contribution should not be overstated or misused at the expense of doing nothing much about reducing emissions.”
“Nature-based solutions” (NbS) and claims about their mitigation potential
