Demand for nature-based solutions in Europe is increasing “exponentially” for some organisations, with companies calling for support to bridge the skills gap and ramp up supply, a study has shown.

Invest4Nature – an EU-funded initiative aiming to bolster the development of a market for nature-based solutions – surveyed 130 companies across Europe spanning agriculture, coastal, forestry, urban, and water management sectors, finding that over 40% observed a “strong increase” in demand.

“When asked about the level of market demand for nature-based solutions, there was a very clear consensus among companies that there’s growth,” said Oisin Klinkenbergh, project management officer at non-profit Horizon Nua, part of the Invest4Nature project.

“The demand has been explosive. We are growing exponentially,” said one of the companies involved in the study.

Interest in nature-based solutions has expanded “enormously” since 2018, reaching a peak last year, added another firm.

However, not every company has seen soaring demand. According to the interim results presented during a panel in Dublin, over 45% of the surveyed firms only experienced a “slight increase” in demand, while less than 10% said there was “no change” or a “decrease”.

Invest4Nature will finalise the research once at least 200 companies have been surveyed, Klinkenbergh added.

Source for all images: Invest4Nature

BRIDGING THE GAPS

“The demand is there. We do want more nature-based solutions, but there remains political and financing barriers as well as education and skills gaps that need to be addressed,” said Klinkenbergh.

As many as 35% of the surveyed companies identified a lack of prioritisation of nature in legislation and policy as a primary obstacle to financing, followed by a shortage of private sector investment.

The survey also showed that nearly 30% of the companies need training on financing and business models. Another 25% identified measuring impact as a critical challenge.

“Education on nature-based solutions must be improved. There is a gap in the financing mechanism. Many projects that claim to be nature-based solutions do not have a proper outcome or societal benefits,” said a firm participating in the research.

In October, Fleur van Ooststroom-Brummel, policy officer of biodiversity and nature-based solutions at the European Commission, acknowledged that skills shortages are among the most significant barriers to scaling up the market.

“Nature-based solutions are quite a new concept. Especially in terms of engineering and ecological experience, there’s just not enough,” she said during a panel in Milan.

To try to address this gap, the Commission has kickstarted in 2020 an €11 million initiative, Connecting Nature for Forming Communities in the EU and Abroad, as well as the Green Advisory Service for Sustainable Investments Support programme.

By Sergio Colombo – sergio@carbon-pulse.com

*** Click here to sign up to our twice-weekly biodiversity newsletter ***