Risks and opportunities for nature-based solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are being integrated into climate strategies across Latin America and the Caribbean to address biodiversity loss and climate change. While they offer significant economic and ecological potential—such as protecting coastal resilience and sequestering carbon—they cannot replace the need for deep emissions reductions from fossil fuels. The document warns that vague definitions of NbS can lead to 'greenwashing' by polluting corporations and risk the displacement of Indigenous and local communities through land grabs and monoculture plantations. For NbS to be sustainable, the author argues they must be based on local knowledge, ensure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), and be supported by diverse financing mechanisms beyond voluntary safeguards.

• Restoring degraded lands in Latin America and the Caribbean presents substantial economic opportunities. A 2016 projection estimated that restoring 20 million hectares of degraded land in the region could generate approximately USD 23 billion over 50 years, with gains from carbon capture, ecotourism, and increased agricultural productivity.
• NbS are insufficient as a standalone strategy to limit global warming to below 2°C because they do not address the source of fossil fuel emissions. While they could potentially mitigate 10-12 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year (about 27% of annual GHG emissions), a significant gap remains compared to the 40 GtCO2 emitted annually from land-use change and fossil fuel combustion.
• The implementation of NbS in the LAC region faces significant financing gaps and a heavy reliance on grants. A 2020 study of 156 NbS projects in the region found that 53% were still in the preparation phase and not yet implemented, with nearly 75% relying on grants as a primary funding source.
• There are severe ecological and social risks associated with NbS, including the promotion of monoculture plantations and 'land grabs' disguised as climate action. Such projects can lead to biodiversity loss, increased fire susceptibility, and the displacement of Indigenous and local communities from their ancestral lands.
• Current human rights safeguards for NbS are largely inadequate and voluntary. Only one-third of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) include provisions to enhance the rights of local and Indigenous communities, and the IUCN Standard for NbS relies on self-assessed compliance.
• NbS can be used as a tool for 'greenwashing' by fossil fuel, agribusiness, and forestry corporations to maintain existing business models while claiming green credentials, thereby distracting from the necessity of reducing emissions at the source.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Risks and opportunities for nature-based solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/risks-and-opportunities-for-nature-based-solutions-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Risks and opportunities for nature-based solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/risks-and-opportunities-for-nature-based-solutions-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Risks and opportunities for nature-based solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=18 October 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/risks-and-opportunities-for-nature-based-solutions-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024risks, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Risks and opportunities for nature-based solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = oct, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/risks-and-opportunities-for-nature-based-solutions-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }