On Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 10:00 to 12:30 (CET), the first event of the NBS4EU Cluster Webinar Series, entitled “Nature-Based Solutions: more than just a trend”, successfully took place online. The meeting inaugurated a cycle of exchanges and collaborations among seven European projects funded under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change: MountResilience, LAND4CLIMATE, ARCADIA, NBRACER, DesirMED, CARDIMED, and NATALIE.
Active across different European biogeographical contexts, these projects joined forces to advance the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) and to strengthen their role as key tools for climate resilience and systemic transition. Brought together under the informal NBS4EU Network, they share the common goal of clarifying the operational meaning of NbS and promoting their consistent and effective application across Europe.
Organised by MountResilience, the webinar offered a valuable opportunity for collective reflection and alignment on the fundamental concepts of NbS, combining institutional perspectives, project experiences, and networking moments. Opening remarks by Prof. Anna Giorgi (Head of the UNIMONT Hub – University of Milan and Coordinator of MountResilience) and Tadej Stepišnik Perdih (CARDIMED) were followed by insightful interventions from experts of the European Commission and the IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature, who explored the strategic role of NbS within the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
The webinar agenda included presentations on the conceptual foundations and policy context of NbS, highlighting their growing relevance in the EU Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, and the EU Adaptation Strategy. Speakers from the European Commission and IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature illustrated how NbS have evolved from early ecosystem-based approaches to a globally recognized standard adopted by IUCN in 2020. The UNEA 5.2 (2022) definition was recalled, emphasizing that NbS are actions to protect, conserve, restore, and sustainably manage ecosystems to address societal, economic, and environmental challenges, while delivering human well-being, ecosystem services, resilience, and biodiversity benefits.
The session highlighted various Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) applied across Europe’s diverse ecosystems to address major climate challenges such as floods, droughts, heat waves, wildfires, and biodiversity loss.
Data confirmed that NbS are central to the EU Mission, with projects active in 185 territories. The discussion also referenced the EU’s 2024–2029 political guidelines, which reaffirm commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the European Green Deal, including the Nature Restoration Regulation.
The event ended with networking and marked the first webinar of the NBS4EU series, which will continue with further thematic sessions.
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