Whose Voices Shape and Make Decisions in Nbs, and Who Doesn’t Get Included?

Image: The Nature of Cities, Photo: Canva.com, 2026

Whose Voices Shape and Make Decisions in Nbs, and Who Doesn’t Get Included?

What could real inclusion look like in practice?

Publication
Citation

The Nature of Cities (2026): Whose voices shape and make decisions in NbS, and who doesn’t get included? What could real inclusion look like in practice? TNOC Roundtable, 29 May 2026.

To the TNOC Roundtable

A new Roundtable published by The Nature of Cities asks a central question for the planning and implementation of nature-based solutions: whose voices shape decisions, and who remains unheard? Curated by McKenna Davis of Ecologic Institute and Natalia Andrea Burgos Cuevas of the IUCN, the Roundtable brings together 29 contributors from around the world to reflect on what meaningful inclusion, co-creation and environmental justice can look like in practice.

In their framing essay, McKenna Davis argues that inclusion is not simply a matter of participation or consultation. Rather, it is closely linked to power, trust, representation and the recognition of different forms of knowledge in shaping places and projects. Too often, communities most affected by environmental challenges remain underrepresented in decision-making, even when projects are explicitly designed in the name of inclusion.

The contributions explore how nature-based solutions can move beyond procedural participation towards more equitable forms of governance. They highlight the need to address systemic barriers, build long-term relationships, and create processes in which commonly excluded stakeholders can influence decisions from the outset.

Ecologic Institute’s work on inclusive and just nature-based solutions

The Roundtable builds on Ecologic Institute's broader work on inclusive and just nature-based solutions. In 2025, McKenna Davis led the European Commission publication "Co-creating Nature-based Solutions with Commonly Excluded Stakeholders". The report explores why many groups remain underrepresented in NbS decision-making and offers practical guidance for overcoming barriers to participation.

Related questions are also being explored through the Biodiversa+-funded FairNature project, which examines how nature-based solutions can be scaled in ways that are both effective and just, and through the Horizon Europe project GoNaturePositive!, where Ecologic Institute is investigating how a transition to a nature-positive economy can better account for social and justice dimensions, including wellbeing, equity, and the distribution of benefits and burdens alongside environmental outcomes.

Ecologic Institute curates international roundtable on inclusive nature-based solutions

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Language
English
Authorship
Natalia Andrea Burgos Cuevas (IUCN)
Published in
TNOC Roundtables
Published by
Year
Project
Project ID
Keywords
inclusive nature-based solutions, environmental justice, equitable governance, co-creation processes, social inclusion in sustainability, participatory environmental planning, community-led nature-based solutions, justice-oriented climate adaptation, inclusive environmental governance, social equity and biodiversity, transformative governance, stakeholder empowerment, place-based solutions, collaborative decision-making, environmental participation, nature-positive societies, social dimensions of sustainability, equitable climate resilience, community engagement in conservation, inclusive urban and environmental planning
Europe
co-creation approaches, participatory governance, stakeholder engagement, inclusive decision-making, collaborative planning, knowledge co-production, environmental justice frameworks, qualitative reflection and exchange, multi-stakeholder dialogue, community participation, governance analysis, barrier assessment, equity-focused approaches, social impact assessment, inclusive consultation processes, transdisciplinary collaboration, power and representation analysis, participatory research methods, co-design processes, justice-oriented evaluation frameworks
PublicationReportCo-creating Nature-based Solutions with Commonly Excluded Stakeholders
 

© European Commission, 2025

Ensuring inclusivity in the co-creation of nature-based solutions (NbS) is crucial for equitable, effective, and sustainable outcomes. Yet, many stakeholders – such as marginalized communities, indigenous groups, youth, and other vulnerable groups – remain... Read more

European Commission: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, Co-creating nature-based solutions with commonly excluded stakeholders – Insights from practice and research, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/4288584

PublicationReportMapping Policy and Co-operative Initiative Landscapes for Systemic Change Towards a Nature-positive Economy
 

© GoNaturePositive! project, 2025

This report published under the EU-funded GoNaturePositive! project offers a comprehensive baseline assessment to support the transition toward a nature-positive economy. The report provides an in-depth analysis of EU policy instruments and co-operative initiatives,... Read more

Kupilas, B., Burgos, N., Davis, M., Elkina, E., McDonald, H. (2025). Mapping policy and co-operative initiative landscapes for systemic change towards a nature-positive economy (Deliverable 1.3). GoNaturePositive! Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No. 101135264, European Commission. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15309698 Available at: https://www.gonaturepositive.eu/resources