Nature-based solutions
Nature-based solutions can help corporates, developers and landowners looking to deliver on their sustainability commitments.Â
What are nature-based solutions?
Nature-based solutions (NbS) work with nature to benefit both society and biodiversity. They protect, restore and manage ecosystems and can be used to sustainably manage agricultural land, forestry and our rivers and coastal waters. They also include urban interventions and masterplanning design to build in green spaces such as green roofs, pocket parks, rain gardens and planting more urban trees.
They provide a range of benefits, including enhanced biodiversity, flood alleviation, better livelihoods for local communities, and they contribute to greenhouse gas reductions, either by storing carbon or by preventing its release.
As governments commit to and prioritise the restoration of nature and biodiversity, a holistic, nature-based approach to development is rapidly becoming the key to success when it comes to moving development plans forward.
Nature-based solutions examples
Typical nature-based solutions include:
- Upland and lowland peat restoration
- Woodland planting
- Rewilding
- Green infrastructure
- Wetlands and reedbeds
- Natural Flood management (NFM) solutions
- Seagrass and salt marsh restoration.
How can nature-based solutions help me?
Nature-based solutions can help corporates, land owners and developers achieve their sustainability targets. If you're a business or developer looking to tackle unavoidable emissions, our team of carbon assessors and sustainability experts can help you weigh up the pros cons of offsetting so you can make an informed decision about whether its right for you. If you are considering your lands potential for offsetting, we can bring together a team of ecologists and landscape architects to deliver a robust assessment to determine carbon sequestration potential.Â
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Nature-based solutions and carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting is the practice of balancing carbon emissions through organised carbon reduction initiatives. It can be used by governments, companies and individuals as part of a low carbon strategy to compensate for emissions that can't be reduced.
Within the offset market there are both verified and unverified options to consider as part of a robust strategy.
Verified offsets are those that provide a guarantee that the carbon savings are real, permanent and additional. These normally take the format of the international traded offsets such as the Gold Standard which can be accounted for within the most recent reporting year. The Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code are UK based schemes that can contribute towards net zero strategies compensating for UK emissions.
Unverified carbon offset schemes can support not only carbon sequestration but other environmental and social objectives, however, they do not have the guarantee concerning the additionality nor permanency.
Bringing nature-based solutions to life
Nature-based solutions (NbS) can deliver affordable and scalable action in the fight against climate change. But how easy is it to balance biodiversity, conservation, development and growth?
We brought together four specialists to talk all things NbS and will be sharing what we learnt in a series of short videos.
In our first episode we look at the evolving NbS market, the absence of a tried and tested approach and how consultants can add real value by advocating for solutions, showing clients what's possible and how to achieve it.
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Masterplanning and Green Infrastructure
Watch on demandÂ
Designing green infrastructure into your developments can tick a lot of boxes from both a planning and environmental perspective. With so many benefits to be gained, integrating Landscape, Ecology and Hydrology into the early masterplanning process is fundamental. In our free, one hour webinar, Director or Ecology, Mike Barker and Director of Urban Design, Jonathan Stewart share how to deliver truly integrated, multi-functional green space that adds real value to your project.
Nature-based solutions in the spotlight
Coastal wetlands such as seagrass and saltmarshes are powerful tools in the fight against climate change.Â
Watch our short video to learn more about why the protection and restoration of these ecosystems is so important.
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Growing our peatland restoration expertise
Read articleOur ecology team has recently expanded with the exciting appointment of Ewan Campbell, a Principal Ecologist based in our Edinburgh office.
We catch up with Ewan to learn more about his role, the importance of peatlands and how nature-based solutions can help clients tackle their carbon emissions and achieve biodiversity net gain.
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Adopting a new and innovative approach to fighting climate change
Read articleIn their recent report on climate change, the Environmental Agency’s prevailing message is morbid: 'Adapt or die'. Our environmental specialists explore how our approach to climate change must be refined for us to see significant and promising progress in reducing the built environment's harm to the planet.
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The Barriers and Enablers to Nature-based Solutions
Read articleNature-based solutions (NbS) harness the power of nature to deliver affordable and scalable action in the fight against climate change. But how easy is it to balance biodiversity, conservation, development and growth? Are we set up to utilise NbS to get the much-needed benefits they offer? Â
We brought together four technical specialists from different specialisms to discuss the barriers and enablers to nature-based solutions and share some of their expertise on this important conversation.Â
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