COP 15 Side Event | Nature-Based Climate Solutions: Enhancing biodiversity co-benefits

Click here for the write up of this event by IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin. 

About

Nature-based climate solutions (NBCS) that conserve, restore, and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems hold promise for helping people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change. At the same time, global biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation threaten the capacity of nature to provide essential adaptation services. The Nature for Climate Adaptation Initiative (NCAI)—funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in partnership with a global community of practice on nature-based solutions—enhances capacity for implementation of NBCS, with a focus on rights-based, inclusive approaches.

Event Description

Through presentations and a moderated Q&A, we’ll examine how to generate measurable biodiversity co-benefits through NBCS. The event will include overviews of Canada’s Partnering for Climate initiative, which supports NBCS implementation in developing countries, and the NCAI’s capacity-building tools. A panel of experts will then provide concrete examples of how Traditional Knowledge and diverse knowledge systems can complement Western science, and how to measure biodiversity outcomes from NBCS implementation. A representative from the Convention on Biological Diversity will also discuss the role of rights-based approaches and nature-based solutions in the Global Biodiversity Framework to achieve the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.

This session will be the third in a series of events convened by IISD, GAC, and other partner organizations to unveil the challenges and opportunities in scaling up NBCS, addressing the core themes of social inclusion, gender equity, and biodiversity co-benefits.
 

Speakers

• Kerry Max, Global Affairs Canada
• Tristan Tyrrell, Convention on Biological Diversity Secretariat 
• Onel Masardule, Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform Facilitative Working Group, UNFCCC
• Dr. Viviana Figueroa, International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity 
• Dr. Shannon Hagerman, Social-Ecological Systems Research Group, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia  
• Katie Critchlow, NatureMetrics
• Eugenia Arguedas Montezuma, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Costa Rica
• Alec Crawford, IISD

Moderator: Veronica Lo, IISD