Global Definition of NbS: The adoption of the resolution “Nature-based Solutions for supporting sustainable development” by the United Nations Environment Assembly in 2022 was a significant milestone in advancing consistent and successful NbS. This resolution provides a multilaterally agreed definition of Nature-based Solutions and is welcomed by IUCN and recognised as the universal definition.

IUCN Standard and the global definition of NbS: The IUCN definitional and conceptual frameworks for NbS were developed based on a gap analysis and in-depth study on the principles of the existing guidelines and criteria for ecosystem-based and ecosystem related concepts (Cohen-Shacham et al. 2019). This analysis formed the NbS operational framework: Global Standard for NbS. The Standard also benefited from two rounds of public consultations during its development process, collecting 800+ comments from 100 countries from all sectors. Given the high alignment of the IUCN definitional and conceptional framework for NbS and the UNEA resolution 5.5, the IUCN Global Standard for NbS is recognized as the best available operational framework to implement the UNEA Resolution.

For more information about the alignment of the NbS Standard and the global definition of NbS, please refer to IUCN’s information paper: Proposing the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions as the main operational framework to implement UNEA Resolutions 5/5.

The Standard was developed guided by the ISEAL code of good practice. It is revised once every four years and a new edition would be available at every IUCN’s World Conservation Congress. Therefore, the next edition of the Standard will be released in 2025.

The NbS Standard is a facilitative framework that enables project developers and implementers to analyse the sustainability of their projects. The Criteria and indicators of the Standard are developed during a co-creation process, building on lessons learned from decades of actions on the ground. This gap analysis enables the project developers to identify points of strengths and areas of improvement in their project design and implementation, and define corrective measures as needed.

Integrating the NbS concept, the investors will be able to meet simultaneous objectives with one solution – positive biodiversity outcomes and benefits derived for people. The Standard supports the investors in smart financial decision-making, enabling the directing of investments towards high integrity and inclusive solutions, and therefore, increasing the possibility of delivering intended outcomes. Also, if a solution is not fully meeting the Standard’s benchmarks, the investor will be able to understand what the gaps and needs are to improve.

The 8 Criteria and 28 indicators of the current edition of the Standard are applicable to numerous contexts, such as policy development, assist in financial decision-making and integrate milestones of effectiveness for concrete actions on the ground. The Standard is a multidimensional and versatile tool that can be utilized across multiple scales; subnational, national and global. It can be applied as a tool to guide procurement requirements, design requirements for interventions to address societal challenges, screening of investment decisions and development of action plans to address gaps. The criteria of the Standard are broad enough that they can be translated to various sectoral and thematic contexts and adapted to various spatial scales.

To provide measurable guidance on design gaps and opportunities of a Nature-based Solution and to improve implementation and capture lessons learned. A user can use it to conduct a gap-analysis with a set of standardised indicators as measures. Further guidance on how to use the standard is also available.

To support operationalising NbS in a consistent and robust manner that does achieve the foreseen benefits. Additionally, it supports in analysing if a solution is indeed designed with the intention of simultaneous social and biodiversity benefits. The Standard can support targets set by project developers on achieving NbS, i.e. what they want to do and how to progress towards alignment. The Standard facilitates investors and project developers to:
design and implement effective NbS interventions that are ambitious in scale and sustainability,
Identify points of strength and areas of improvement and develop action plans for addressing gaps and enhancing alignment,
screen investment decisions,
create a common framework for documentation and a shared language for communication amongst stakeholders, and
facilitate establishing partnerships.

Over 1000 people from different sectors and communities of practice, research and policy participated in the development of this Standard. NbS is an overarching concept, transcending the thematic and sectoral silos we operate in. Therefore, a wide range of expertise (such as ecology, social science, engineering) and different forms of knowledge (traditional, experiential, scientific) was consulted to develop a relevant and robust set of criteria and indicators of the standard.