Equitable futures for Nature-based Solutions

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are actions to protect, manage and restore ecosystems for the benefit of people and nature. These actions aim to work with and enhance nature to address societal challenges like biodiversity loss and climate change. In Canada’s efforts to address these unprecedented challenges, NbS are promising to achieve the targets in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and up to 35% of Canada’s 2030 carbon reduction commitment. Our research aims to understand the current landscape of NbS and identify the most impactful opportunities to reach those targets.

If you are conducting Nature-based Solutions in Canada we want to hear from you! Contact us at: camilo.alejo.monroy@futureearth.org.

Recent Work

Leveraging the power of AI to prioritize NbS

Nature-based Solutions provide holistic pathways to optimize multiple environmental outcomes as Canada works toward its 30×30 targets (protecting 30% of land and restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems.) We explored this opportunity in our study titled: “Maximizing Nature-based Solutions using Artificial Intelligence to align global biodiversity, climate, and water targets.” Our findings present strategic conservation and restoration scenarios across Canada, suggesting pathways to achieve the 30X30 targets.

•Conservation Scenarios. Prioritizing the protection of threatened species and irrecoverable carbon storage, mostly in forested lands, represents a holistic pathway to conserve 30% of land and improve biodiversity, climate, and water outcomes relative to existing protected areas.

•Restoration Scenarios. Restoring 30% of degraded land for effective biodiversity outcomes will require a combination of interventions: restoring carbon stocks in forested lands and mitigating the effects of reduced ecological intactness and water surface instability in agricultural lands.

•Local and economic implications: Indigenous Lands, including initiatives funded by the Federal Government, and Major Natural Resource projects, especially mining and energy, are near Conservation and Restoration priority areas.

To learn more about this NbS research, see our pre-print >

A 2024 report by Microsoft, focusing on “Investing in Nature for Sustainability” included some of our recent work. This collaborative work highlights the use of AI to assess trade-offs of nature-based solutions and “identify synergies between biodiversity protection, ecological intactness, carbon storage, and water.”

Mapping the Landscape of Nature-based Solutions in Canada

We have been creating a database of NbS initiatives in Canada that support biodiversity, climate change mitigation, and human well-being outcomes. Since our first report in 2022, we have identified around 1000 initiatives! Are you working on Nature-based Solutions in Canada? We want to hear from you. You may submit your project here and contact us at camilo.alejo.monroy@futureearth.org. Our official database launch will be in Spring 2025. This public database will contribute to monitoring, informing decisions regarding NbS, and accelerating Canada’s climate and biodiversity targets in a just, equitable, and inclusive manner.

Background Information

To the best of our knowledge, Canada lacks a framework to monitor and prioritize the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) that address biodiversity loss, climate change, and social inequality. 

Sustainability in the Digital Age and Future Earth Canada Hub are working on understanding the landscape of NbS in Canada, exploring the opportunities and challenges of using AI and other digital technologies, while engaging with diverse stakeholders and rights holders. Our research aims to reveal pathways to foster equitable and impactful NbS in Canada and worldwide.

To understand the intersection of NbS and digital technologies from diverse perspectives, we began with convenings that engaged over 100 participants from South, North, and Central America, Europe, and Africa, representing the private sector, science and research communities, industry, Indigenous communities, and nonprofits. The main themes and illustrations of these rich discussions are presented below:

1. Exploring the connection between Indigenous worldviews and technology, including digital technologies:

2. Enabling equitable NbS for climate change mitigation and ecosystem resilience to climate change:

3. Leveraging digital technology for innovating, strengthening, and upscaling NbS:

Read more in our report titled “A Landscape Analysis of Nature-based Solutions in Canada.” This report synthesizes the findings of our literature review and consultations.

Based on this initial landscape analysis, we have engaged with diverse stakeholders and rights holders inside and outside academia to explore the potential of digital tools to 1) highlight the contributions of Indigenous-led NbS, 2) develop frameworks to monitor plant biodiversity in Quebec (Canada), 3) create a database of NbS in Canada (Spring 2025), and 4) identify scenarios to reach the 30×30 conservation and restoration targets in Canada.

With support from

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