The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions™ is a process-oriented, globally applicable standard. It purposefully avoids a rigid normative framing with fixed, definitive thresholds of what NbS ought to achieve.
The NbS-GS includes 8 Criteria and 27 Indicators:
- The Criteria represent the essential elements needed for NbS design and implementation to be environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable. There is no hierarchy among the Criteria: they share equal status, validity and authority.
- The indicators offer specific means of assessing whether each Criteria is fulfilled.
Criterion 1 ensures that NbS are designed to address societal challenges identified as priorities by those directly affected through transparent, inclusive and participatory processes (Indicators 1.1 and 1.2). This aligns with a human rights-based approach, emphasizing the ability of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and other vulnerable groups in defining their own priorities. NbS should provide multiple co-benefits (Indicator 1.3), with one intervention ideally addressing several interconnected challenges.
Criterion 6 reinforces this element by requiring that social and environmental safeguards and associated corrective actions are established through transparent, inclusive and participatory processes (Indicator 6.1), are made accessible to affected stakeholders and rights-holders and actively respected (Indicator 6.2), ensuring accountability especially for those most at risk, such as Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and vulnerable groups.
Criterion 5 further promotes processes that are not only transparent, inclusive and participatory but also gender-responsive, ensuring that women’s voices and leadership are recognized and integrated throughout the NbS design, implementation, and monitoring phases (Indicator 5.3). Effective NbS should be grounded in equity, inclusivity, and the respect for human rights, ensuring meaningful participation and shared benefits across all stakeholder groups. The design and implementation of NbS should also be evidence-based. Evidence can come from traditional, local and scientific knowledge through transparent, inclusive and participatory processes involving people living and having a stake in the targeted ecosystems (Indicators 5.1, 5.2 and 5.4).
Criterion 2 requires NbS to recognise and respond to the complexity and uncertainty that occur in the ecological, economic, social, and geopolitical systems within which they are designed and implemented, particularly in light of volatile political landscapes and evolving climate scenarios. The target area where the societal challenges are being addressed is often a part of a bigger system, be it ecological, economic or social. While intervention activities can be focused on the site scale, the robustness, applicability and responsiveness of the solution should take into consideration the broader systems at play (Indicator 2.1). NbS should also seek synergies with relevant sectors and complementary actions, bridging knowledge and disciplines, while integrating appropriate technological and engineering innovations, such as remote sensing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and nature-compatible infrastructure, to enhance design, implementation, monitoring, and scalability (Indicator 2.2).
Given the dynamic nature of the ecological, economic, social, and geopolitical systems, NbS should integrate a risk-based approach to address the unintended, unforeseen or undesirable impacts the NbS may pose to the environment and society through safeguards and associated corrective actions (Criterion 6), as well as any risks that may affect its performance and sustainability, including those originating beyond the immediate intervention site (Indicator 2.3). Regular monitoring should be in place (Criterion 7) to detect new and changing risks and evaluate the response measures through continuous learning about system-wide processes (Indicator 7.2). NbS should adapt to detected systemic changes (Indicator 7.3), and safeguards and associated corrective measures should be periodically realigned to remain relevant (Indicator 6.3).
Criterion 3 recognises the fundamental role that biodiversity and ecosystems play in addressing societal challenges and supporting human wellbeing. NbS should avoid undermining the integrity of ecosystems (Indicator 3.4) and, instead, proactively seek to enhance their functionality, integrity and connectivity and improve biodiversity (Indicators 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3). NbS are not to be seen as replacements for, or alternatives to, traditional nature conservation efforts. Instead, NbS should be understood as a complementary approach that can enhance and support conservation outcomes, while addressing other societal challenges. In addition, NbS should not be used merely for offsetting purposes. Their role in compensating for emissions should be strictly limited to addressing only residual emissions that cannot be reduced through direct emission cuts and decarbonization. Such use should be supported by robust accounting frameworks to prevent double counting and should adhere to strong social and environmental safeguards.
Criterion 4 requires NbS to be financially and economically feasible and viable. While recognising the inevitable tension between short-term costs and long-term gains, NbS need to be developed and implemented in a manner that is consistent with the temporal dynamics and complexity of ecosystems (Indicators 4.2 and 4.3). Moreover, in contexts where environmental degradation intersects with social tensions, NbS should be developed with a conflict-sensitive lens, acknowledging and addressing the risks that interventions may unintentionally exacerbate existing inequalities or disputes, particularly around access to land, resources, or cultural heritage. Respect for cultural diversity, customary governance systems, and inclusive stakeholder engagement is essential to avoid reinforcing grievances and to ensure that NbS contribute to social cohesion and long-term sustainability (Indicator 4.1).
Finally, Criterion 8 requires NbS to build on existing local, national and regional social, economic and regulatory contexts while contributing to the enhancement of the enabling conditions for their implementation, sustainability and mainstreaming (Indicators 8.1 and 8.2). The true potential of NbS is realised through its long-term implementation. Embedding the concept and actions into policy or regulatory frameworks as well as linking to national targets or international commitments can enable this (Indicator 8.3).