Nature-based solutions (NbS), can help to deliver up to 37% of solutions to achieve the Paris climate goal, as well as the potential to help address other societal challenges while being good for business and people. Yet, to scale up investment in Nature-based Solutions, business requires clarity on its scope and requirements.

This report aims to help remove the hurdles to nature-based solutions by clarifying definitions, while supporting the alignment of natural climate solutions (NCS) with nature-based solutions in order to accelerate investments at scale. In addition, the report helps business to navigate the nature and climate agenda by mapping the key initiatives, platforms and conventions for collective action.

This business guidance is part of a series of three reports aimed at “Accelerating Business Solutions for Climate and Nature”, a joint collaboration between our Nature Action and Natural Climate Solutions teams. The next report will focus on “NCS best practice” and the final guidance document will cover "sectoral guidance" for nature-based solutions across the three key systems identified by WEF’s New Nature Economy Report Series: (1) food, land and ocean use; (2) infrastructure and built environment; and (3) energy and extractives.

Companies involved in the work include BASF, BP, The Biodiversity Consultancy, DSM, Hancock, McKinsey, Natems, Shell, South Pole, Syngenta and Yara. Contributing stakeholders include Business for Nature, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), Harvey Locke, Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU), Systemiq, the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK Defra), One Planet for Business and Biodiversity (OP2B), We Mean Business, World Economic Forum.