NbS Regulatory Mechanisms Toolkit
This toolkit is the first resource in ACT's Natural Solutions Initiative (NSI) Strategy Series. The toolkit was developed to help local governments introduce new, or strengthen existing, regulatory mechanisms to advance the use of nature-based solutions (NbS) in their communities.
In many cases, NbS tend to be implemented on a project-by-project basis. With increasing recognition of the values of NbS for both people and other species, communities are seeking ways to mainstream and upscale these types of projects. To achieve this goal, local governments have a variety of regulatory tools at their disposal, which can be used to facilitate or require the use of NbS. The NbS Regulatory Mechanisms Toolkit aims to support this work by showcasing regulatory mechanisms and other government powers that can advance NbS in communities.
In the toolkit, practitioners will find recommendations relating to more than 20 different types of tools. These recommendations show how each tool can be used to support either NbS implementation or other approaches to low carbon resilience. Most of the recommendations are complementary, but some present different alternatives or priorities for decision-makers to consider.
The toolkit follows the framework-for-action in the NSI Summary by connecting recommendations to two scales of NbS action (watershed and community), four NSI key areas (climate action; biodiversity; sustainable service delivery; and health, equity, & justice), and three NbS approaches (ecosystem-based management, natural asset management, and blue-green infrastructure strategies).
