Nature based solutions in UK climate adaptation policy

The report summarizes evidence on the many ways in which Nature-based solutions (NbS) can address climate impacts in the UK, and explores the barriers and enabling factors that influence their wider uptake. NbS can play a critical role in helping the UK to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including sea-level rise, floods, droughts and heatwaves, and our report highlights how the government could harness the potential of nature and make changes that would directly benefit the quality of life. A key strength of NbS is that they deliver multiple benefits: they tackle both the causes and effects of climate change, protecting against impacts such as floods and heatwaves, but also storing and sequestering carbon in soils and vegetation. In some cases, NbS can also enable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from other sources, such as when green roofs and urban trees help to cool buildings and reduce the need for air conditioning, or when nature-based farming reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers.

The report points out the government needs to provide far more funding and support for a nature-first approach to tackling climate impacts and presents many detailed recommendations to help with scaling up high-quality and resilient NbS. Working together to implement NbS can protect, restore, connect and enhance the natural assets that underpin the resilience of our economies, health and well-being, to provide benefits for both people and nature and safeguard the quality of life for millions in the UK.