BACKGROUND
Network Nature
NetworkNature is a resource for the nature-based solutions community, creating opportunities for local, regional and international cooperation to maximise the impact and spread of nature-based solutions. The project is funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme.
NetworkNature’s activities:
Synthesize & strengthen the NBS evidence base by gathering experiences, knowledge, tools and services from over 30 Horizon 2020 projects.
Engage existing stakeholders & expand the NBS community to new sectors and target audiences, by creating new partnerships and identifying sectoral champions, sharing knowledge in dedicated events, educating young generations and communicating the latest findings in the field.
Ensure NBS science informs the policy agenda and vice versa. As an interface between NBS innovators and knowledge generators as well as business and policy makers, NetworkNature is a bridge between the European policy landscape and the NBS community.
Accelerate the uptake of NBS across science, business, policy and practice by providing guidance and capacity building, creating and operating new European NBS regional hubs, coordination of the EU H2020 Nature-based Solutions Task Forces and networking with practitioners, business, investors and policymakers.
NetworkNature is steering its course through six impact pathways:
With expertise in research, implementation, business strategy, policy and communication - ICLEI Europe, IUCN, BiodivERsA, Oppla and Steinbeis 2i have joined forces to create NetworkNature, in close collaboration with the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and Executive Agency for SMEs. The nature-based solutions community contributes and guides NetworkNature’s work, through participation in Task Forces and a NBS Project Board, that consists of the coordinators of H2020-funded nature-based solutions projects.
NetworkNature aims to reach the following main target audiences and sectors:
Semester Themes
NetworkNature will highlight a timely topic in the nature-based solutions field with its semestral themes, identified in consultation with the nature-based solutions community. Each semester NetworkNature will focus on a specific theme, gathering and disseminating information from a wide range of stakeholders to raise awareness and increase knowledge and collaboration in relation to the chosen topic. Further NetworkNature will attend relevant events locally and internationally to raise awareness about the topic and promote work and research conducted.
NBS and Standards - Semester theme: This semester (April. 2022-Sept. 2022) NetworkNature will shed light on the understanding of the term and the concept of NBS as well as the relevant existing, currently being developed and further needed standards for NBS to ensure their quality in planning and implementation. It is important to understand what NBS are and what they are not to adhere to principles which should guide the selection and implementation of NBS at any scale to ensure there is minimal room for critique and it doesn’t support monoculture, greenwashing or results in strong, negative implications, e.g. avoiding gentrification as a result of greening neighbourhoods by ensuring socially inclusive planning processes are being done. Hence, it is essential to have some safeguards to the quality of NBS and that is where the role of standards is imminent.
Check the concept note on the NetworkNature website for more details.