Standards & schemes
International Union for Conservation of Nature
In brief
The IUCN Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions is the definitional benchmark for what legitimately counts as a nature-based solution (NbS). Published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in its first edition, it sets eight criteria — addressing societal challenges, landscape-scale design, biodiversity net gain, economic viability, inclusive governance, trade-off balancing, adaptive management, and scalability — each with indicators for self-assessment and verification. Its function is claim discipline: as "nature-based solutions" became a funding and marketing term, the standard provides the criteria against which a project's use of the label can be tested, and IUCN offers guidance for verification processes. It is a design and verification standard for projects and programmes, not a certification of the sponsoring organisation. Self-assessment tools and verification guidance accompany the criteria, and the standard is referenced by governments, funders and standards bodies when defining what NbS finance may support. Its biodiversity net-gain criterion is the line that separates genuine NbS from generic conservation or offsetting activities. Applying it supports a claim that a specific intervention meets the NbS criteria; it does not by itself prove delivered outcomes or validate broader organisational claims.
Conditional relationships
A relationship does not mean that the standard proves or validates every use of a claim.
Recognition & legal context
No reviewed law references are published.
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