TNRC External Resource | Who reaps the benefits? Integrity principles for benefit sharing in forest NBS for climate mitigation

Who reaps the benefits? Integrity principles for benefit sharing in forest NbS for climate mitigation

By WWF | November 2022 | External Resource

This WWF paper proposes principles for how benefits of nature-based solutions (NbS) can be shared in a way that is fair, accountable, rights-based, and effective. NbS harness the power of nature to boost natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and human well-being to address major societal issues, including climate change. Around $133 billion currently flows to NbS, with calls to triple that amount by 2030 and quadruple it by 2050 to meet the magnitude of the threats facing humanity. Encouragingly, interest and investment in NbS are growing, especially from the private sector. This growth represents a significant opportunity, but accelerating into NbS implementation without concrete, principled guidance also represents a major risk. Without parameters and guidelines, much of this investment may be wasted or flow into and through institutions and power structures that do not respect human rights, protect Indigenous Peoples and local communities, or provide accountable financial management.

This paper aims to centralize a shared statement of ambitious ethical guidelines, for discussion with the global community, that constitute the highest integrity for NbS benefit sharing. After discussion and refinement of these principles, WWF will seek to develop concrete, practical guidance for applying these principles to NbS interventions in several pilot landscapes.

Download English PDF (5.22MB)
Download Portuguese PDF (5.15MB)
Download Vietnamese PDF (5.20MB)