Integrating NBS in national land-use planning policy
Integrating NBS in national planning policy enables and encourages municipalities to include NBS in their municipal master plans, zoning plans and other important planning documents.
Specific Advice
Integrating NBS in national land-use planning is crucial for mainstreaming NBS across the country. National spatial planning policies can be revised or adopted to encourage or mandate NBS to address societal challenges at regional and local levels. This may involve revising existing legislation or creating new regulations to prioritise NBS, providing necessary authorization for their use in regional and local planning (e.g., municipal master plans and zoning plans).
This should be complemented by knowledge dissemination about NBS for different societal challenges and contexts to communicate the value of implementing NBS and when NBS is appropriate. Regional cooperation and sharing of knowledge and resources should also be encouraged.
Good to Know
Planning authorities are obliged to consider a vast range of priorities given by national, regional and local policies. Thus, regional and local authorities may have to prioritize considerations that are clearly required, while measures that are “nice to have” are given a lower priority. When revising or adopting legislation, care should be taken to ensure clear priorities and requirements for NBS.
An important factor could be to require through legislation that NBS are considered in land-use planning at all levels (see example from Norway). In this regard, the legislation should also set out priorities between different sector laws.
National authorities need to ensure that legislation do not hinder municipalities in adopting provisions in the municipal masterplan or zoning plans for protecting, restoring or sustainably using or managing ecosystems (NBS).
The building application system may need to be adapted to enable projects improving the environment. The current system does in some cases require more assessments and approvals for measures impacting the environment, which was intended to avoid harm to the environment, but can be a barrier for nature restoration measures.
Laws and regulations enabling NBS are not enough. Lack of support may hinder municipalities in implementing NBS due to lack of knowledge and resources. Therefore, it is crucial to provide knowledge about NBS for different societal challenges and contexts, as well as enabling knowledge-sharing between municipalities and departments internally in the municipalities. Consider including NBS in guidance for how to address different societal challenges through land-use planning.
Regional and local authorities inexperienced with NBS may be unable to integrate NBS in their planning systems without funds for necessary assessments and training. Giving municipalities responsibilities for implementing NBS should be supported by funding.
Context
Land-use planning entails the process of regulating the use of land considering a range of priorities given by national, regional and local policies. Because land-use changes are the main driver of biodiversity loss, land use planning plays an important role in ensuring the protection and restoration of nature. Furthermore, there are many considerations to account for in land-use planning. NBS can, given their multifunctionality, be adopted in policy to address several of societal challenges.
The Nordic countries have quite similar structures for physical planning and have implemented planning and building acts or land-use acts. The main responsibility for spatial planning lies at the regional and municipal level, while national authorities can implement laws, regulations and policies setting out priorities that regional and local planning authorities must follow. Priorities on a national level may include changing laws and regulations, adopting strategies and communicating information about NBS to enable, encourage or require using NBS to address societal challenges through land-use planning. A municipal master plan serves as a roadmap for long-term vision and development for municipalities, and as such it affects most of the municipalities’ actions. For this reason, national policies should encourage municipalities to include NBS in their municipal master plans. This gives NBS more weight, increasing the likelihood of NBS being the chosen approach for different kinds of projects at local level.
While existing land-use acts may aim to promote sustainable development benefiting individuals, society and future generations, the sections about zoning and building matters are typically designed for development projects. Some barriers, gaps and opportunities mentioned by informants in the A-DVICE project and literature on land-use planning are related to climate adaptation projects not being specifically regulated in the Planning and Building Act (e.g., through land-use objectives, consideration zones), more bureaucracy in building matters for measures with significant effects on the environment (even when the measures aim to improve the environment), need for clearer requirements for municipalities to prioritise NBS, and information about different kinds of NBS including their costs and benefits.
Examples and Cases
Nordic examples of including NBS in national planning policy:
#NORWAY – Central government planning guideline requiring NBS to be considered
As the only Nordic country so far, Norway has established central government planning guidelines for climate and energy planning and climate adaptation that require NBS to be considered as an alternative for climate adaptation (Statlig planretningslinje, 2018). This has been done through the Planning and Building Act. The guideline sets an expectation that NBS should be considered in local planning Norway, and if such solutions are not chosen there needs to be an explanation why:
“Preservation, restoration or establishment of nature-based solutions (such as existing wetlands and natural streams or new green roofs and walls, artificial streams and pools, etc.) should be considered. If other solutions are chosen, reasons must be given as to why nature-based solutions have not been chosen.”(SPR climate, section 4.3 – our translation)
Central government planning guidelines are not legally binding, but planning authorities need to base their planning on such guidelines. There are varying experiences across municipalities on how this text is interpreted and implemented. Several assessments have found that municipalities did not perceive it as a requirement to consider NBS (and justify if NBS is not chosen) and concluded that it may be needed to make the requirement clearer (Aanderaa et al. 2020; Furuseth et al. 2024). In an analysis of how four municipalities complied with the SPR climate, Furuseth et al. (2024) found that taking SPR climate into account on the strategic level (municipal master plan, sub plans and thematic plans) enabled urban planners to set requirements for NBS in zoning plans. In that regard, implementing ‘must’ requirements through provisions rather than recommendations/ guidelines was found to be an important enabler for implementing NBS in land-use planning. A revised version of the SPR climate have been out on a public consultation, in which NBS are being considered for climate change mitigation as well.
More information about the Norwegian planning guideline here:
The central planning guidelines - Statlige planretningslinjer for klima- og energiplanlegging og klimatilpasning: https://lovdata.no/forskrift/2018-09-28-1469
Hvordan ta hensyn til klimaendringer i plan? (Guidance on climate adaptation in spatial planning by the Norwegian Environment Agency): https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/ansvarsomrader/klima/for-myndigheter/klimatilpasning/veiledning-til-statlige-planretningslinjer-for-klimatilpasning/
#SWEDEN – Action plan for robust environmental work in a changing climate
Swedish name: Handlingsplan för robust miljöarbete i ett förändrat klimat
The Swedish Environment Agency (Naturvårdsverket) have adopted an action plan for climate adaptation which states that knowledge sharing and incentives for NBS are one of the main focal points. These solutions are seen as a way to make society more climate-resilient while promoting both biodiversity and public health. The plan includes action targets for NBS related to knowledge building, coordination and development of policy tools, international cooperation and obligations and land-use planning.
More information about the action plan can be found here:
Handlingsplan för robust miljöarbete i ett förändrat klimat (The Swedish Environment Agency’s action plan):https://www.naturvardsverket.se/4ace23/contentassets/469a59fe37ac46369fdf9d44e33a806f/handlingsplan-klimatanpassning-2023.pdf
Klimatanpassning – guidance on climate adaptation by the Swedish Environment Agency: https://www.naturvardsverket.se/amnesomraden/klimatanpassning/
#FINLAND – National climate change adaptation plan until 2030
In Finland, the Climate Act (Ilmastolaki) requires the climate policy planning system to include the Long-term Climate Plan, Adaptation Plan, Medium-term Climate Plan and Climate Plan for the Land Use Sector. In 2022, the Finnish Government adopted a new National Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2030 which sets the vision and goals in line with climate risk and vulnerability assessment. The plan features three goals, ten themes and 24 targets that aim at societal wellbeing, safety and security. In line with the EU Adaptation Strategy, the plan promotes the use of use via Target 12:
Target 12.
Nature-based solutions will have become established and will have increased society’s preparedness for climate risks and improved water protection while also increasing biodiversity by 2030.NBS are considered from the point of water and heat management, biodiversity, as well as supporting research and documenting multifunctional benefits and impacts. The plan aims to increase the societal appreciation of NBS as primary measures.
More information about the Finnish national climate change adaptation plan can be found here:
Government Report on Finland’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan until 2030: Wellbeing, Safety and Security in a Changing Climate: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-383-814-7
Adaptation to climate change in Finland: Current state and future prospects: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-383-118-6
Climate Act (Ilmastolaki): https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2022/20220423 [in Finnish]
Learn more
The Norwegian Environment Agency has developed guidance for how to consider NBS for climate adaptation in land-use planning: https://www.miljodirektoratet.no/ansvarsomrader/klima/for-myndigheter/klimatilpasning/veiledning-til-statlige-planretningslinjer-for-klimatilpasning/
International Obligations
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Significantly increase the area and quality and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health and well-being and connection to nature and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and the provision of ecosystem functions and services.SDG 11.8. STRONG NATIONAL AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.