Nature-based solutions for climate change in UK forestry and agriculture
The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will hold its first evidence session for its inquiry into nature-based solutions for climate change. The Committee will investigate the potential for nature-based solutions for climate change in UK forestry and agriculture.
The Committee will hear from researchers about the potential to deploy nature-based solutions in UK forests and agricultural lands. Members will seek to understand the potential scale of the contribution to decarbonisation that nature-based solutions can make, any scientific uncertainties around the impact of nature-based solutions, the co-benefits they can provide, anticipated barriers to deployment, and any scientific considerations that could influence the carbon accountancy for nature-based solutions.
The first session will focus on UK forests, while the second will focus on regions used for agriculture. Members will consider the strength of the evidence base and current scientific and technical understanding of nature-based solutions, and where they can fit into existing UK policy, such as the UK’s net zero ambitions, forestry policy, or future agri-environment schemes.
The Committee will be looking into whether current UK policies are sufficiently robust to support nature-based solutions. These actions include financial incentives, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring, reporting and verification frameworks. The Committee will also ask how these frameworks can incorporate evidence from existing nature-based solution pilot projects.
Meeting details
Possible questions
- What defines an appropriate “nature-based solution” in the agricultural or forestry context in the UK?
- What is the potential scale at which nature-based solutions could contribute to decarbonisation in the UK?
- What scientific uncertainties remain about the impacts of implementing nature-based solutions on greenhouse gas emissions, and how can these be addressed?
- What are the potential co-benefits that nature-based solutions could provide for people and the environment?
- Are current policies, including financial incentives and regulatory frameworks, sufficient to support the deployment of nature-based solutions at scale?
- What potential barriers are likely to arise to the successful implementation of nature-based solutions, and how can they be overcome?