PRESENTATION: There is no future for “business as usual”. Systemic transformation is needed to shift towards an economy where economic growth is decoupled from resource usage, industry is decarbonised and climate neutral and all members of society are engaged in this transition in a fair and equitable way. To achieve this systematic transformation, disruptive change is required. The role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in societal transformation have been increasingly recognised in European and international frameworks. While much focus to date has been on the environmental or social benefits of NBS, less attention has been paid to their economic potential and their role in a just transition to a sustainable economy. In this proposed session, we invite four economists to the table, two from academia and two from practice; from cities where the concept of nature-based solutions is well established (e.g. Malmo, New York) to cities where the concept is still highly novel (e.g. Rio de Janeiro, Busan). We invite them to discuss the relevance of the concept of a nature-based economy to their city, identifying conceptual and practical challenges and priority areas for further research and innovation. For more information and to contribute to a draft White Paper on the nature-based economy concept, visit https://networknature.eu/consultation-draft-nature-based-economy-white-paper.
