What are NBSs?
The NBS concept
Building on and supporting other closely related concepts, such as the ecosystem approach, ecosystem services, ecosystem-based adaptation/mitigation, and green and blue infrastructure. They all recognise the importance of nature and require a systemic approach to environmental change based on an understanding of the structure and functioning of ecosystems, including human actions and their consequences. NBSs, however, have a distinctive set of premises:
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some societal challenges stem from human activities that have failed to recognise ecological limitations;
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sustainable alternatives to those activities can be found by looking to nature for design and process knowledge.
They, therefore, involve the innovative application of knowledge about nature, inspired and supported by nature, and they maintain and enhance natural capital. They are positive responses to societal challenges and can have the potential to simultaneously meet environmental, social and economic objectives.
Related projects
ThinkNature - Development of a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform and thinktank to promote innovation with NBSs [https://platform.think-nature.eu/]
The main objective of ThinkNature is the development of a multi-stakeholder communication platform that will support the understanding and the promotion of NBSs at the local, regional, EU and international level. Through dialogue facilitation and steering mechanisms as well as capacity building, the ThinkNature platform will bring together multi-disciplinary scientific expertise, policy, business and society, as well as citizens. This platform will be attractive to a wide variety of actors and stakeholders because it merges all aspects of NBSs in a clear, pyramidal, methodological approach, with a wide geographical scope. As a result, ThinkNature will provide the necessary policy and regulatory tools to solve significant societal challenges such as human well-being and tackling energy poverty through continuous dialogue and interaction.
