Consideration of Nature-Based Solutions as Offsets in Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Strategies

The document examines the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in corporate net-zero strategies, emphasizing that while NBS can provide critical finance for conservation and significant co-benefits for biodiversity, they must not substitute for direct fossil fuel abatement. It details 'demand-side' risks, such as the potential for offsets to dilute corporate ambition, and 'supply-side' risks, including leakage, permanence, and additionality. The authors advocate for a 'both/and' approach combining aggressive internal decarbonization with high-quality NBS credits, preferably shifting from project-based to jurisdictional-scale crediting to improve integrity.

• Nature-based solutions (NBS) are essential for meeting the 1.5°C target, potentially providing about one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation required, yet they remain severely underfunded compared to 'gray finance' flows.
• NBS offer critical co-benefits beyond carbon storage, including enhancing climate stability through rainfall generation and temperature moderation, protecting biodiversity, and supporting economic recovery through job creation in natural infrastructure.
• Conserving existing carbon-dense ecosystems, such as tropical forests, peatlands, and mangroves, is a higher near-term priority than reforestation because the carbon lost from these systems is 'irrecoverable' by 2050.
• The use of NBS as offsets carries 'demand-side' risks where companies might prioritize low-cost offsets over reducing their own operational emissions, potentially delaying the transition to net-zero.
• Ensuring 'supply-side environmental integrity' for NBS credits requires rigorous management of additionality, leakage, permanence, and double counting to ensure reductions are real and not simply displaced.
• A jurisdictional-scale approach to crediting is superior to project-based crediting as it better addresses policy failures driving deforestation and reduces risks related to non-additionality and leakage.
• There is currently a lack of definitive guidance for companies on the exact level of internal emissions abatement required before the use of offsets becomes legitimate for compensating remaining emissions.
• The intersection between voluntary corporate carbon markets and national compliance markets remains unresolved, particularly regarding 'corresponding adjustments' to avoid double counting under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
• Companies can implement 'no regrets' strategies by investing in high-quality NBS credits without making neutrality claims, advocating for robust compliance markets, and prioritizing internal value chain NBS (insetting).

APA

Seymour, F., & Langer, P. (2021). Consideration of Nature-Based Solutions as Offsets in Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Strategies. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/consideration-nature-based-solutions-offsets-corporate-climate-change-mitigation-strategies.pdf

Chicago

Seymour, Frances, and Paige Langer. Consideration of Nature-Based Solutions as Offsets in Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Strategies. World Resources Institute, 2021. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/consideration-nature-based-solutions-offsets-corporate-climate-change-mitigation-strategies.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Seymour |first1=Frances |last2=Langer |first2=Paige |title=Consideration of Nature-Based Solutions as Offsets in Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Strategies |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=February 2021 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/consideration-nature-based-solutions-offsets-corporate-climate-change-mitigation-strategies.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{seymour2021consideration, author = {Seymour, Frances and Langer, Paige}, title = {{Consideration of Nature-Based Solutions as Offsets in Corporate Climate Change Mitigation Strategies}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/consideration-nature-based-solutions-offsets-corporate-climate-change-mitigation-strategies.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }