Establish a joint information site presenting evidence and cases that support engagement and can inform decision-making at different levels of governing.
Consider development of a cross sector planning framework including major international obligations. This can be done by using the British example from 2013 as a guidance template.
Encourage integration of concrete NbS provisions in policies at different levels: at an EU level, at a cross-Nordic level, at a national and local level.
Support the implementation of one NbS standardisation scheme to be used at all governing levels e.g., the IUCN Global standard for Nature based Solutions.
Allocate resources to inform and promote the possibilities NbS entails in terms of impacts, benefits, and cost-effectiveness.
Provide specific guidance for NbS financing mechanisms.
Initiate evaluations of the effects of collaboration both between countries, within government, both within national, regional and local government, and between sectors, in order to provide an effect-based guide for these processes
Support the implementation of a cross-sectoral planning framework on a national level, incorporating national legislation and objectives together with international ones.
Enable, motivate, and encourage private financial investments towards NbS – the majority NbS investments are currently done with public funds.
Some measures shall be encouraged with care, e.g. off-setting. Support the hierarchy that provides the order of conservation first, then managing, then restoration, and if unavoidable then practice off-setting.
Ensure knowledge-sharing and knowledge building, e.g. by launching information campaigns both targeting municipalities, landowners, and the general public on the importance of joint actions for tackling biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution,
Support and encourage local government officials to get further educated by providing the necessary resources to increase municipal and regional knowledge capacity on NbS
Knowledge already exists, but there is a need to create higher awareness and make it more accessible and applicable.
Mainstream the process of screening new measures for synergies, when developing policies and strategies for areas such as nature/biodiversity, physical planning, the agricultural/forestry sector, the energy sector, climate mitigation, climate adaption, pollution prevention, and waterbodies including freshwater lakes, streams and the seas.
Based on the mapping and assessments of existing screening methods as well as on the insights provided through the study of synergetic measures, and the uncovered cases, we have identified and listed 10 core principles for a policy measure screening process. The 10 principles are to be seen as recommendations for a policy process entailing development of new or implementation of known measures related to biodiversity, climate and pollution. It would, although, very likely be relevant to screen a broader portfolio of measures within environmental policy and physical planning in order to identify and promote untapped synergies.
Ensure a common understanding and consistent use of the key essential terms and phrases that are in use in the policy documents and in the more guiding implementation tools for the measure; especially in terms of the technical phrases related to nature-based solutions, biodiversity conservation/management, as well as climate mitigation and prevention.
Include both national and international policies and strategies in the screening process in order to ensure that all levels of regulation are assessed. This is especially important for governing measures that have legal or regulatory influence on underlying regulatory levels.
Ensure that the screening process is resource effective, so it can and will be mainstreamed and will entail all measures with relevance for biodiversity, climate, pollution, and physical planning. A mainstreamed process can help ensure that untapped and unintentional synergies can be identified and supported with the necessary supportive means, effective implementation and relevant monitoring programmes. In the same vein, unintended trade-offs can be eliminated or minimized.
The screening of synergies of national policy measures must entail the full policy process from government level to local implementation and management, as the synergies are not necessarily clear at macro level but can be promoted in the actual implementation. As part of this policy value chain screening it is important to uncover the need for resources in order to utilize the synergy potential, as well as the source of funding for management.
Develop or identify sector specific parameters and indicators for the screening. The set of indicators can be based on or inspired by indicators from national nature- and climate monitoring programmes, but it should be noted that these sets of indicators may be at a level of detail that is difficult to apply in an ex ante phase for other measures than actual management. Another source of inspiration can be publications such as the IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions and the European Commission Practitioners Guide “Evaluating the Impact of Nature-based Solutions”.
The screening of policy measures must be knowledge based and transdisciplinary. There is a necessity to involve the relevant experts from all relevant disciplines in the development of screening parameters and consider whether an external review of the selected parameters might be useful.
Avoid a silo approach by involving the relevant sector ministries in the screening process.
Support targeted knowledge building, training, and sharing of NbS best practices with key stakeholders.
Remember to not only screen for the desired effects; be aware of any trade-offs that might be a consequence of the implemented measure.
Make use of the developed screening parameters and indicators to develop implementation- and monitoring plans with focus on the identified and expected synergy effects.