India should push for ‘nature based solutions' (NbS) into climate change adaptation and mitigation plans for Net Zero and National Determined Contributions (NDCs)
As the world is experiencing environmental challenges, India under its G20 Presidency has focussed on building a shared future by developing sustainable practices cutting across industry, sectors, and society through green development, climate finance, and technology. Alongside, there has been a reinvigorated focus to adopt nature-based solutions (NbS) for managing climate change, especially climate mitigation and adaptation, and loss of biodiversity.
As policy-makers of G20 are sharing their perspectives and experiences on NbS, it is imperative to answer certain questions: What is the significance of NbS for addressing environment and climate change-related challenges and promoting sustainability? How are NbS implemented by the international community, particularly G20 members through their national climate strategies? What are the major challenges in the implementation of NbS? What standards for NbS are acceptable for the majority of countries to ensure justice? How an innovative funding mechanism for promoting NbS can be developed? What are the viable nature-based alternatives and practices that India can offer during G20 Presidency?
Nature-based solutions are inclusive innovative practices and actions to help protect, manage, and sustain the environment. They are known as multipurpose, low-cost, sustainable, and no-regret solutions e.g. managing coastal ecosystems through mangrove conservation that can reduce the impact of increased disasters and sea level rise, conservation of natural wetlands and maintaining the man-made wetlands that can help improve the water quality and water level, and also reduce the risk associated with floods and sea level rise, agroforestry creates carbon sinks, helps in adapting climate change, and poverty alleviation of farmers.
In urban areas, NbS is realised in different forms such as green buildings, facades and roofs, green space connected to grey infrastructure (playgrounds, street trees), parks and urban forests, allotments and community gardens as well as different types of green-blue spaces such as lakes, urban drainage systems, permeable surfaces and wetlands. It can provide a unique set of services, benefits and values for different urban stakeholders, ranging from ecological services such as climate mitigation and water management to social and economic benefits, such as social cohesion and economic development. These examples show how powerful NbS can be and can promote synergies among various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, NbS have the potential to remove as much as 10 gigatons of CO2 per year and can also provide 10-24 per cent of the total mitigation required by 2050 to keep rising temperatures within the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.
Adopting Nature-based
solutions globally
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have come to assume centre stage in the discussion of climate change, biodiversity and land actions. On one hand, several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia have adopted and integrated measures and programmes into national policies; on the other, multilateral and regional institutions and forums such as United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), G7 and G20 have also prioritised NbS in their agenda.
Despite the availability of funds for NBS from varied sources (public and private, bilateral and multilateral, and national and international sources), the share of NBS from climate and biodiversity funds is quite minimal. It is estimated that only half of USD 154 billion per year flows into NbS globally which needs to be increased to USD 536 billion per year by 2050. According to the 2022 report on ‘State of Finance on Nature in the G20’ the current G20 spending on NbSis only USD 120 billion per year, which represents 92% of all global investments in 2020. However, bulk distribution of these G20 investments i.e. 87% or USD 105 billion, was directed internally towards domestic government programs; and the remaining funds are allocated to water management, pollution abatement, general environmental protection, and measures for agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.
Notwithstanding, there remains a huge gap in terms of finance as well as its distribution, which warrants the involvement of multi-stakeholders, including governments, businesses and citizens. The Report further states that G20 would require NbS investments to the tune of USD 285 billion/year by 2050 to address the intertwined challenges of climate change, biodiversity and land degradation. Additionally, the gap between G20 and non-G20 members is also huge.
Another point of discussion can be finalising the standards to be followed for adopting NbS. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) identifies eight criteria for Global Standards on NbS: societal challenges; design at scale; biodiversity net-gain; economic feasibility; inclusive development; adaptive management and; mainstreaming and sustainability. While most countries are working towards achieving their emission targets by adopting various NbS, most still fail to keep up with the standards proposed by IUCN.
Leveraging G20 Presidency
for NbS
In pursuit of G20 commitments, which are in sync with SDG Goals, India has already earned global appreciation both for its commitments as well as delivery of action, particularly on climate action, ranging from its domestic commitments to energy transition to 175 GW renewable energy, and global action through International Solar Alliance. Along with taking major shifts in the economy e.g. plan to decarbonize major sectors using hydrogen fuel through hydrogen energy policy, rehauling present infrastructure into a smart and sustainable one, expansion of renewable energy, reducing energy intensity through energy conservation and efficiency mechanisms, overhauling the system to include NbS organically should be focussed i.e. smart cities and communities should include the NbS component in their development. More lessons can be drawn from traditional and local knowledge and best practices in green technologies across G20 and non-G20 members that can go a long way to build ‘green infrastructure’, which will help to ensure a more inclusive and people-led ‘global shared future’.
Next, it is important to emphasise that India should lead the way by integrating NbS into climate change adaptation and mitigation plans and other targets i.e. Net Zero and National Determined Contributions (NDCs) to achieve the global targets of climate change, biodiversity conservation, poverty alleviation and land degradation targets. Estimates state that NbS can provide for 37% of global mitigation until 2030 to achieve the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement.
With G20 representing more than 80 per of world GDP as well as accounting for 80 per cent of global carbon emissions, India can seize the G20 Presidency opportunity to bridge the investment gap, particularly by encouraging the private sectors to integrate NbS into their business strategies as well as capitalise funds. It is to be noted that, as per World Economic Forum, only 11 per cent of the NbS investment is from the private sector. Further, India can utilise the G20 forum to incentivise and support cost-effective NbS between the G20 and non-G20 members. The average cost of land conversion to NbS in G20 countries is USD 2,600/hectare, while the average cost for non-G20 regions is USD 2,100/hectare. There are various opportunities for the funding and financing of NbS, including carbon markets, debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, insurance, corporate contributions and voluntary certification. To attract private sector funding, it will be important to make NbS workable, reliable and just.
Lastly, along with other solutions, it is high time India should give NbS drawn from traditional knowledge and practices its due importance. NbS, derived by nature in improving environmental health and climate change mitigation and adaptation, have been used by local communities in India for ages using soils, vegetation, and natural processes.
(Arundhati Sharma teaches at the Department of Political Science, Central University of Himachal Pradesh. Vandana Maurya teaches Environmental Science at Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi)