NetworkNature is pleased to share a report from the recent NetworkNature Task Forces (TFs) Cluster Meeting that took place virtually on March 20th, 2024. This event was pivotal, bringing together members from various Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Task Forces to focus on the topic of standardisation—a key area of development in our environmental missions.

The meeting opened with remarks from Piret Noukas of the European Commission (REA) and Bettina Wilk from ICLEI, setting a collaborative tone for the session. A significant highlight was the introduction of the NbS co-creation tool by Sean Bradley from Groundwork London. This tool is the primary outcome of TF6, which focuses on NbS co-creation and governance, marking a major step forward in our collaborative efforts.

Each Task Force shared key outcomes, providing insights into their current achievements and future aspirations. Maria Nunez from IUCN EURO introduced the NetworkNature Labs and the TFs Operational Fund, which are poised to open new avenues for project collaboration and innovation.

The core of the meeting centered on standardisation. Holger Robrecht from ICLEI initiated the discussion, followed by Susanna Gionfra of IUCN EURO who gave an overview of the IUCN Global Standard on Nature-Based Solutions. Alhassan Ibrahim from MERLIN presented practical application examples from the MERLIN project, enhancing our understanding of the standard’s real-world impact.

Parallel to these discussions, a workshop led by René Lindner, Nicholas Ferguson, and Diana Soeiro from HSBooster focused on raising awareness about standardisation issues. The meeting concluded with a lively mentimeter session that engaged participants in exploring the potentials of standardisation further.
 

Read the report to learn more.