Description coming soon — A new briefing note identifies opportunities for the Bill to improve outcomes for nature and people through positive amendments

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Key Concerns and Recommendations

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently being debated in the House of Lords, has far-reaching implications for biodiversity, local democracy, and community wellbeing. We have prepared a briefing note to highlight priority amendments to make the Bill less damaging and more nature-positive.

05 September 2025

Aerial shot over the Amaxon — A new study shows how the EU climate neutrality strategy may undermine nature-based mitigation goals in the Global South. Photo by Aline Soterroni.

Potential Impacts of the EU’s carbon dioxide removal strategy for Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities

Land-based carbon dioxide removal options like Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) have strong emphasis in the EU’s roadmap to net zero, but at what cost? Taking Brazil as a case study, a new paper explores the potential environmental and social consequences of the EU’s CDR strategy beyond its boundaries.

27 August 2025

Zoe helping someone — The study used interviews and biodiversity assessments to explore the diverse values influencing farmers' decisions about trees on their cocoa farms.

Shade trees hold diverse values to cocoa farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

New research by NBSI’s Zoë Brown in Agroforestry Systems found that cocoa farms in Ekiti State, Nigeria host a rich diversity of native and economically valuable trees. These trees offer multiple benefits, presenting a valuable opportunity for policymakers to implement certification frameworks that both safeguard and enhance the socioeconomic and conservation value of these agroforestry systems.

11 August 2025

The policy paper, Unlocking benefits for people, nature and climate, and the statement on climate and nature delivered in Parliament on July 14th, marks a rare and important shift in tone

Nature and climate: welcome ambition, but policy contradictions threaten delivery

The UK government’s recent statement and new policy paper recognise that nature and climate are inseparable. This is a critical and overdue shift in policy framing. But this welcome vision risks being undermined by legislation that weakens nature protections and prioritises development at the expense of biodiversity.

15 July 2025

Big sign saying Groundswell — AGRIIH seeks to foster collaboration across disciplines, geographies, and sectors to support more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agri-food systems.

AGRIIH Highlights Collaborative Agricultural Resilience Work at BES and Groundswell

The Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub (AGRIIH) is building a collaborative community working on agricultural resilience. The team recently presented early progress at the BES Nature, Farming and Food symposium and Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival.

13 August 2025

New ‘World Court’ ruling opens the door for ambitious climate action

In a historic win for climate justice, the world’s highest court delivered an advisory opinion setting out States’ legal obligations in respect to climate change. From grassroots beginnings to the International Court of Justice, the ruling marks a pivotal moment in the global fight for climate action which centres human rights and justice for climate vulnerable nations.

08 August 2025

A cocoa pod — Cocoa pod growing on a cacao tree.

Embedding sustainability and equity in forest-risk commodity value chains

A range of recent outputs from NbSI collaborations examine sustainability, equity, and power dynamics in forest-risk commodity value chains.

17 June 2025

Young woman holding protest sign — Action on climate, biodiversity, and human wellbeing must be re-politicised

Power, participation, and the politics of Nature-based Solutions: getting transformation right

A recent paper by social scientists at The Agile Initiative, Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery and Nature-based Solutions Initiative reminds us that new science, improved metrics, and boosting private finance solely are unlikely to be resilient in the long term unless we address the root causes of power inequality and injustice.

16 June 2025

Education

We offer the Nature-based Solutions to Global Challenges Foundation course and custom-designed courses on the science, policy, practice, finance and governance of nature-based solutions for executives and public servants. We also provide undergraduate and graduate teaching and supervision for students enrolled at the University of Oxford. If you are interested in taking part in one of our courses, please contact us.

Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub

The Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub (AGRIIH) aims to generate a transformational shift in the scope of Oxford‘s agricultural research impact, by engaging industry and stakeholders to co- develop novel and industry-relevant research and innovation that transforms our agricultural systems for a sustainable future.

The Flourishing Landscapes Programme

The Flourishing Landscapes Programme (FLP) addresses the triple challenge of livelihoods, climate change, and biodiversity loss at tropical forest frontiers. FLP focuses on landscapes with agricultural land-use dominated, to varying extents by, by coffee or cocoa production.

Biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to woodland creation

This project aims to understand biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to different woodland creation methods.

Sustain-Cocoa: Sustainable sourcing policies for biodiversity protection, climate mitigation, and improved livelihoods in the cocoa sector

The conversion and degradation of tropical forests have multiple negative socio- environmental impacts. Conversely, their restoration, including enhancing tree cover on already cleared farmland, is a powerful nature-based solution to climate mitigation and adaptation, with potentially large biodiversity and rural livelihood co-benefits. A major driver of forest loss and degradation in the tropics is the […]

Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub

NbS and biodiversityNbS for climate change adaptationNbS for climate change mitigationSocial dimensions of NbS

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How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?

Estimating emissions and developing mitigation pathways for environmental greenhouse gases presents additional challenges beyond those associated with tracking fossil carbon dioxide (CO2). Firstly, environmental emissions are uncertain and variable in time and space, reflecting the complicated interactions between ecological communities and their physical environment that give rise to emissions. Secondly, environmental greenhouse gas emissions are […]

NbS for climate change mitigation

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The Flourishing Landscapes Programme

NbS and biodiversityNbS for climate change adaptationNbS for climate change mitigationSocial dimensions of NbS

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Biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to woodland creation

This project aims to understand biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to different woodland creation methods.

Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Key Concerns and Recommendations

Potential Impacts of the EU’s carbon dioxide removal strategy for Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities

Shade trees hold diverse values to cocoa farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Nature and climate: welcome ambition, but policy contradictions threaten delivery

AGRIIH Highlights Collaborative Agricultural Resilience Work at BES and Groundswell

New ‘World Court’ ruling opens the door for ambitious climate action

Embedding sustainability and equity in forest-risk commodity value chains

Power, participation, and the politics of Nature-based Solutions: getting transformation right

Education

Research Projects

Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub

The Flourishing Landscapes Programme

Biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to woodland creation

Sustain-Cocoa: Sustainable sourcing policies for biodiversity protection, climate mitigation, and improved livelihoods in the cocoa sector

Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub

How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?

The Flourishing Landscapes Programme

Biodiversity and ecosystem function responses to woodland creation

Recent Outputs

Assessing potential implications of the EU’s carbon dioxide removal strategy on Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities

Understanding the diverse values of shade trees on cocoa farms in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Landscape Analysis for an Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub (AGRIIH) at Oxford

Introducing The Agricultural Resilience Impact and Innovation Hub

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