Nature based solutions: a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Friends of the Earth International rejects the concept of Nature Based Solutions (NBS), arguing that the term is too vague and is used by governments and corporations to facilitate greenwashing, neo-colonialism, and the dispossession of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

• Friends of the Earth International rejects Nature Based Solutions (NBS) because the term is overly broad and vague, potentially covering both peatland restoration and monoculture plantations, which allows it to serve as a cover for corporate greenwashing and discredited market mechanisms.
• The NBS framework is criticized for instrumentalizing nature and the practices of Indigenous Peoples, peasants, and artisanal fishers to act as offsets for corporate destruction, which the organization claims enables new dispossessions and distracts from the necessity of cutting carbon at the source.
• Instead of NBS, Friends of the Earth International advocates for transformational system changes, specifically naming agroecology, community forest management, the cessation of fossil fuel extraction, and community-based renewable energy.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). Nature based solutions: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. https://www.foei.org/publication/nature-based-solutions-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Nature based solutions: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. n.d. https://www.foei.org/publication/nature-based-solutions-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Nature based solutions: a wolf in sheep’s clothing |url=https://www.foei.org/publication/nature-based-solutions-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{friendsoftheearthinternationalndnature, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Nature based solutions: a wolf in sheep’s clothing}}, publisher = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/publication/nature-based-solutions-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }