Policy Instruments to Promote Implementation of Nature-based Solutions

Policy Instruments to Promote Implementation of Nature-based Solutions

Presentation at COP27

Presentation: Speech
Date: 16 November 2022
Location: hybrid, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt
Speech: Ewa Iwaszuk

Ewa Iwaszuk, a Fellow at Ecologic Institute, held a presentation "Policy instruments to promote implementation of nature-based solutions" at a side-event "Nature-based solutions for building performance" during the global climate conference COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt). Ewa's presentation made the case that policy instruments and their governance act as critical enablers or barriers to adoption of nature-based solutions. She presented the Urban Governance Atlas that Ecologic Institute is currently developing in the frames of the INTERLACE project and discussed good practice examples of policy instruments from around the world that support the implementation of nature-based solutions at a building level.

The event "Nature-based solutions for building performance" was held in the Buildings Pavilion at COP27. The event featured speakers from policy and business as well as engineering experts and discussed how mainstreaming nature-based solutions in the building sector, can improve the sector's contribution to nature-positive economy. The speakers made the case for concrete technical guidance and skill development for professionals in construction sector; a dialogue between construction sector professional and the NBS professionals, including landscape planners, ecologists and policy experts; well-designed, locally appropriate policy instruments and action and guidance for nature-based solutions in building sector to be included in the countries' Nationally Determined Contributions.

Contact

Ewa Iwaszuk

Fellow

Green Synergies in Local Governments

20 March 2024
Ewa Iwaszuk

Event:Conference

As a proud partner of the Nature of Cities Festival 2024, we cordially invite you to be part of an extraordinary three-week event that focuses on the importance and beauty of urban nature. This multifaceted festival offers a wide range of activities both online and in person - from inspiring discussions to collaborative workshops that allow participants from all over the world to actively engage at any time.

The Nature of Cities Festival 2024

15 April - 7 June 2024
virtual and Berlin, Germany

Event:Conference

The EU-funded INTERLACE project is organizing a conference on urban ecosystem restoration in Europe and Latin America. The event will focus on nature-based solutions, including urban ecosystem restoration, climate change, and pollution. It will include interactive sessions, workshops, expert inputs, and site visits to showcase successful implementations of these solutions. The conference aims to foster collaborative research and knowledge-creation.

Reimagining Urban Spaces

Nature-Based Solutions for Inclusive Transformations in Europe and Latin America

2 - 3 October 2024
Granollers, Spain

Presentation:Speech

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are widely recognized for their potential to transform urban spaces into sustainable and environmentally friendly environments. Yet open questions remain around how this can be done in practice, what role different stakeholders can play, and what key challenges and opportunities exist. These topics were explored in the science-policy symposium "Regreening Cities with Nature-based solutions in EU and China – Bridging Science, Policy, and Practice". Ecologic Institute's McKenna Davis presented insights from the INTERLACE project on a panel in the session "Enabling Transformation in Urban areas with Nature Based Solutions".

Enabling Transformation in Urban Areas with Nature-based Solutions

28 November 2023
McKenna Davis

Presentation:Chairing

A Cities Talk Nature Global Engagement Event was organized as part of the INTERLACE project in Envigado, Colombia and streamed online on 23 and 24 November 2023 to explore these topics in more depth. Entitled ‘Rethinking urban-rural linkages for people and biodiversity’, the conference convened over 100 municipal actors and practitioners from Europe and Latin America interested in harnessing the potential of NBS in their cities and regions. Co-organised by UCLG, Humboldt Institute Colombia and Ecologic Institute, the event featured diverse formats, including field visits, practical workshops, and peer-to-peer discussions.

Urban-Rural Linkages and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for Sustainable Development

23 - 24 November 2023
McKenna Davis

Publication:Infographic

The INTERLACE Urban Governance Atlas was launched in 2023. It invites political decision-makers, urban planners, researchers, civil society organizations, and all interested parties to delve into the success stories of 250 political instruments from 41 countries. These instruments support nature-based solutions and tools for ecosystem restoration. The Atlas aims to showcase what has made them successful, the lessons learned in their design and implementation, and the governance approaches they employ. Developed by the Ecologic Institute, the infographic provides a clear overview of what the Urban Governance Atlas is and who can benefit from it.

Urban Governance Atlas

Year 2023

Presentation:Speech

At the occasion of the 10th Anniversary Edition of the European Urban Resilience Forum, Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch gave two presentations, showcasing insights both of the CLEVER Cities project as well as the INTERLACE project.

Participation is Key – at the right time

18 - 20 October 2023
Doris Knoblauch

Presentation:Panel discussion

As part of the Future Leaders' Global Policy Forum from 22 to 23 May 2023 in Milan, Benedict Bueb, Researcher at Ecologic Institute, took part in a panel discussion on tackling the climate crisis and its impacts. He was joined on the panel by Abla Abdel Latif, Director of the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (ECES) and Nicola Monti, CEO of Edison. Keynote speeches by Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vera Songwe, Co-Chair of the High Level Panel on Climate Finance of the World Economic Forum (WEF) completed the panel.

The Role of Nature-based Solutions for Climate Adaptation

23 May 2023
Benedict Bueb

Presentation:Speech

Social media card of the workshop hybrid workshop entitled "Making people part of ecosystem restoration in Europe".

Ecosystem restoration is gaining momentum in science and policy as a process that can jointly tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and other societal challenges. The human and social dimensions of restoration projects however, often insufficiently considered. The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) hosted a hybrid workshop entitled Making people part of ecosystem restoration in Europe from 17 to 19 October 2023 to explore this topic. McKenna Davis, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, held a keynote presentation on "Creating enabling conditions for ecosystem restoration: Tools and guidelines for local impact".

Creating Enabling Conditions for Ecosystem Restoration

17 October 2023
McKenna Davis

Event: COP27 side event: Nature-based solutions for building performance
Organizer: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), International

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), International
Speech: Ewa Iwaszuk
Date: 16 November 2022
Location: hybrid, Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt
Language: English
Project: International Cooperation to Restore and Connect Urban Environments in Latin America and Europe (INTERLACE)
Project ID: 33001
Keywords: Governance

Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure

Nature-based solutions, NBS, International Development, cities, urban restoration, ecosystem-based adaptation, urban ecosystem restoration, sustainable urban development, co-production of knowledge, ecosystem services

Latin America, Europe, Granollers, Spain, Envigado, Colombia, Portoviejo, Ecuador, Chemnitz, Germany, Metropolia Krakowska, Poland, Corredor Biológico Interurbano Río María Aguilar-San José, Costa Rica

Presentation slides

PolicyInstrumentsNBS-EwaIwaszuk-Ecologic.pdf (2.04 MB)

Further Links

NewsCreating Green Cities – NATURVATION Podcast

ProjectHorizon 2020Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

| Fotolia © kalafoto

Nature is important for the urban environment: trees grant shade during the summer months, while parks and lakes function as areas for relaxation, as places where the urban population comes together, and as space where children can experience nature and learn about it... Read more

Nature Based Urban Innovation (NATURVATION)

Duration: Nov 2016 - Oct 2020
Funding: European Commission, Directorate-General Research & Innovation (DG Research & Innovation), International

PublicationReportNature-based Solutions and Global Climate Protection

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are playing an increasingly prominent part in discussions of global climate change mitigation. This study, for the German Environment Agency (UBA), has critically examined the potential impact of NBS. The results show that the potential of... Read more

Judith Reise, Anne Siemons, Hannes Böttcher, Anke Herold, Cristina Urrutia, Lambert Schneider, Ewa Iwaszuk, Hugh McDonald, Ana Frelih-Larsen, Laurens Duin, McKenna Davis 2022: Nature-Based Solutions and Global Climate Protection. Assessment of their global mitigation potential and recommendations for international climate policy. Climate Change 01/2022. German Environment Agency, Dessau-Roßlau.

PublicationPolicy BriefUrban Nature: A Shared Solution to the Climate and Biodiversity Crises?

NATURVATION Publication Cover Image with text and a photograph of a city garden

Cities are increasingly recognised as key arenas for governing and tackling global environmental challenges, including the interlinked climate and biodiversity crises. Urban nature-based solutions have the potential to jointly address these issues. However, evidence... Read more

Davis, McKenna, et al., 2021. Urban Nature: A Shared Solution to The Climate And Biodiversity Crises?

PublicationReportAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Policy Instruments to Promote Urban Nature-based Solutions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to social and environmental challenges, such as air pollution, the heat island effect,... Read more

Naumann, S., Davis, M., Iwaszuk, E., Freundt, M., Mederake, L., 2020: Addressing climate change in cities – Policy instruments to promote urban nature-based solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Naumann, S., Davis, M., Iwaszuk, E., Freundt, M., Mederake, L., 2020: Błękitno-zielona infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Narzędzia strategiczne. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

PublicationPodcastInnovating with Nature, People and Places

The city of Barcelona is reinventing the work soil; a social entrepreneur in Utrecht is trying to challenge the way the government cooperates with local green initiatives; and a housing company in Malmo is redefining neighbourhood design for the 21st century. All these... Read more

Ecologic Institute, 2020: Innovating with Nature, People and Places. 24 August 2020. Online: https://creating-green-cities.podigee.io/5-innovating-with-nature-people-and-places

PublicationReportBiodiversity and Nature-based Solutions

The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to secure healthy, resilient, biodiversity-rich ecosystems that deliver the range of services essential to the prosperity and well-being of citizens. Nature-based solutions (NBS) are central to achieving the objectives of this... Read more

Naumann, Sandra and Davis, McKenna. (2020): Biodiversity and nature-based solutions: analysis of EU-funded projects. Brussels: European Commission.

PublicationPodcast Bringing Nature Back into Cities

Green roofs make buildings cool. Literally. As cities deal with the impacts of climate change, green roofs can offer solutions and help with rainwater management, insulation and cooling, amongst other benefits. No matter the weather, installing a green roof also... Read more

Ecologic Institute 2020: Bringing Nature Back into Cities. Creating Green Cities. Podcast. 25. June 2020. Online: https://creating-green-cities.podigee.io/1-bringing-nature-back-into-cities

PublicationBookAddressing Climate Change in Cities – Catalogue of urban nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are solutions that are inspired and supported by nature. They can be used in urban settings to complement or replace "traditional" or "grey" solutions to perform functions, such as thermal insulation and stormwater retention and filtration.... Read more

English version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Addressing Climate Change in Cities. Catalogue of Urban Nature-Based Solutions. Ecologic Institute, the Sendzimir Foundation: Berlin, Krakow.

Polish version: Iwaszuk, E., Rudik, G., Duin, L., Mederake, L., Davis, M., Naumann, S., Wagner, I., 2019: Błękitno-zielona
infrastruktura dla łagodzenia zmian klimatu w miastach. Katalog techniczny. Ecologic Institute, Fundacja Sendzimira: Berlin, Krakow.

INTERLACE project website

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