Investment in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) has risen globally, with the promise that NBS can ameliorate a wide range of social, economic, and environmental challenges. The ambition is to ‘transform’ cities through greening initiatives that are socially just, democratic, and inclusive of diverse publics. This presentation explores how these promises compare to the reality of NBS initiatives, summarising findings from a 6-year demonstration project to test the impacts of NBS in Europe, Asia, and South America. These provide a foundation to explore enduring inequalities in access and engagement with green space, including research to understand first-hand experiences of people from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds in the UK. The seminar concludes with recommendations to reform funding, implementation, and governance of NBS and urban greening projects, and suggests a more ambitious scope is required to fulfil the promise that nature can help solve both material and existential sustainability challenges.

About the Speaker

Sarah Clement is an Associate Professor in Environmental Policy at the Australian National University. Her research has two main streams: (1) governance and transformation in the Anthropocene, and (2) how the use of Nature-Based Solutions can support efforts to address complex socio-economic and ecological challenges. She is currently in receipt of an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship, leading a project to explore how changing governance can help society confront three fundamental challenges relating to wildfire: risk to life and property, risks to biodiversity, and escalating risks of climate change.