What is nature-based climate action?
Intact ecosystems are natural climate protectors. Forests and floodplains, soils and peatlands, seas and water bodies, and near-natural green spaces in urban and rural areas bind carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it long-term. At the same time, these natural areas act as buffers against the effects of climate change by absorbing flood water, providing cooling during heat waves and mitigating the consequences of droughts. Without nature-based climate action, the goals of climate neutrality by the middle of the century cannot be achieved. The protection and restoration of ecosystems and their functions is in the national, European, and global interest and is the key to preserving our livelihoods.
About the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity
With the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity (ANK), the Federal Ministry for the Environment combines climate action with nature conservation and species protection. By promoting individual measures, the aim is to improve the general condition of ecosystems in Germany and thus strengthen their resilience and climate mitigation performance. In ten fields of action, a wide range of measures ensure that degraded ecosystems become healthy, resilient, and diverse again. The Action Plan thus makes an important contribution to achieving the climate targets enshrined in the Federal Climate Action Act in the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector. From 2024 to 2028, more than €3.5 billion will be available for the various measures.
The members of the WBNK examine and evaluate the connections and interactions between the various measures in the Action Plan from a scientific perspective. At the same time, they provide impetus for the further development of Nature-based Solutions for climate and biodiversity.
The Centre of Competence for Nature-based Climate Action (KNK) is the central point of contact for funding for Nature-based Solutions at federal level. The KNK coordinates nationwide advice on Nature-based Solutions, provides information on funding opportunities, makes specialist information available and brings together stakeholders and interested parties at events.