Background
Across the world, political interest and commitment to implement Nature-Based Solutions continuous to grow. The Netherlands has been part of a number of international initiatives that promote NbS, making it a priority area for Dutch policymakers both in the country and within broader European sustainability frameworks. The momentum to come together towards implementing NbS in a way that fully aligns with climate justice principles is here.
As we know, the term arrived as an effort to recenter social concerns in the work of conservation, and in line with the environmental and climate justice debates. In addition, NbS as a term offers the opportunity to place conservation efforts under the attention of non-conservation actors, namely through funding from e.g., private financial institutions, corporate sector, insurance companies, etc. The concept does not come without its criticism: risks include being used as a greenwashing strategy for carbon offsets from the Global North, enhancing colonialist dynamics, not taking indigenous knowledge or rights into account, or focusing too much on tree planting without scientific expertise and long-term thinking.
As these critiques must remain at the center of any reflections, design, implementation and monitoring process within NbS initiatives, we now come together to ask ourselves: how seriously have we all taken these into consideration in our environmental and development work and how far have we gone beyond them? How are we ensuring, either through our partnerships, cross-learnings, implementation or advocacy efforts, that NbS can be successful in its promises?
Objective: reflect on our approaches, concerns and opportunities concerning NbS and our agency and responsibility to align NbS with climate/environmental justice.
Panellists
- Melvin van der Veen, Senior policy officer Inclusive Water Governance for Climate Adaptation, Both ENDS
- Evelien van den Broek, Senior Expert Environmental Justice, IUCN
- Barbara Nakangu, Global Programme Manager – Voices for Climate Change, WWF-NL
- Annabel Kennedy, Project Coordinator, WECF International
- Rosalien Jezeer, Programme Coordinator Tropenbos International
Programme outline (to be complemented)
- Introduction of the session
- Moderated Panel discussion- exploring real-life cases, examples
- Fish Bowl discussion
- Closure
- Drinks and network opportunities