Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have moved to the center of climate change, biodiversity and land actions. Recently both the G7 and G20 have highlighted NbS. In the last two years, several countries have put in place measures and programs to incentivize and support the scaling-up of NbS.

Despite their many advantages, NbS have yet to reach their full potential, in part because only 3 per cent of global financial resources are allocated to NbS and related investments for mitigating climate change. 

G20 countries have collectively invested USD 120 billion in NbS. This represents 92 per cent of global annual NbS investments. It is broadly in line with the G20’s 80 per cent share of global GDP. But the vast majority of current spending by G20 countries (USD 105 billion) is allocated internally, with a third of this invested in programs to promote the protection of biodiversity and landscapes.

Calls to invest more in NbS have grown as the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss become increasingly evident all over the world. But there is also a need to bridge information gaps to increase the potential of NbS toward greater coherence of action in NbS plans, programs and investments. 

Policy-makers from the United States, Germany and practitioners from India and the European Union will share their perspectives and experiences with NbS during Episode 2, titled, Accelerating NbS, of the webinar series on Let’s Talk Land, hosted by the G20 Global Land Initiative.

The speakers are:

Dr Heather Tallis, Assistant Director for Biodiversity and Conservation Sciences in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Ms Mechthild Caspers, Head of Division, N III 2 Climate Policy in the Land Sector, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection, Germany.

Dr Shalini Dhyani, Senior scientist, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, India

Dr Karen Sudmeier-Rieux, Senior Expert, Nature-based Solutions, G20 Global Land Initiative.

Dr Muralee Thummarukudy, Director, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, will moderate the session. 

The G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats was launched in 2020 by G20 Leaders with the objective of preventing, halting, and reversing land degradation, and the ambition to reduce degraded land by 50 per cent by 2040. Showcasing the potential of NbS for policy and on the ground can motivate increased investment in NbS at the country level. 

The webinar will be conducted in English only.