“The more we delay, the more it will cost”

Christiane Weihe

To restore and strengthen the function of natural sinks so that they are able to absorb carbon over the long term, thus combining nature conservation with climate action: this is a goal of the Federal Action Plan on Nature-based Solutions for Climate and Biodiversity, adopted by the German government in March 2023 (see also "A peatland can do it" on p. 6). The newly established Centre of Competence for Nature-based Climate Action (KNK) has been assigned a pivotal role in realising this goal – among other things, it informs all interested parties about funding programmes for the protection of forests, peatlands and green spaces, promotes relevant projects and supports stakeholder networking. The Centre is headed by Tom Kirschey. In this interview with eco@work, he talks about the current status of nature-based climate action, the measures being taken by the Centre of Competence, and how to ensure that they are effective in the long term.

Mr Kirschey, what does nature-based climate action need?

It needs us to stop thinking in silos and start thinking holistically. It needs all stakeholders to work together to restore the functions of natural ecosystems – and that doesn’t just mean nature conservation. It needs us to ensure that these stakeholders also have opportunities and resources to achieve this goal.

Where do we stand with nature-based climate action?

Right now, emissions from agriculture and forestry are still increasing. This is becoming especially apparent in relation to peatlands: they emit around 54 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year. That went unrecognised for quite some time. If we want to move closer to the 1.5˚C target, we must act fast to restore the natural carbon sinks. The more we delay, the more it will cost.

One of the first measures taken by the Centre of Competence was to set up a telephone advice line. Who can call you?

Any individual or institution with a question about nature-based climate action. It could be a specific idea about transforming a green space, for example. We would then provide advice on funding opportunities but we also want to encourage people to think beyond the context of the individual measures. For example, we attempt to network various authorities and civil society bodies. We need to move away from small-scale actions and look at the bigger picture.

How much awareness of nature-based climate action exists?

It has existed in the political sphere for some years, but it is not yet embedded within society. Certainly, this is partly because it is not self-explanatory. In addition, nature-based climate action is often seen as a means to accelerate nature conservation, but of course there’s much more to it than that.

Which funding programmes are currently in preparation?

Some initial funding programmes are already in place – for example, for city and municipal authorities that want to undertake ecological upgrading of residential areas, or for businesses that would like to introduce more green elements at their company sites. And other funding schemes are being prepared for landowners, forest owners, municipal special-purpose associations and the farming community to support measures such as conversion to soil-conserving techniques. Within Germany’s regional states, there will be climate managers for protected areas, who will develop appropriate measures. Land purchases will also be eligible for funding in some instances – for example, to enable more sites to be withdrawn from commercial use and converted into wilderness areas, thereby forming natural carbon sinks.

What can be done to guarantee that the natural sinks are then preserved for the long term?

The purpose of the funding programmes is to create the right conditions so that funding beneficiaries are able to make that commitment. Another option is to stipulate in the land registry that peatlands, for example, must permanently remain in a fully rewetted state – this can be achieved by ringfencing or imposing restrictions on use. At the same time, the Action Plan should also assist with follow-up if the source of a disturbance has been eliminated but the ecosystem is still not fulfilling its function.

Thank you for talking to eco@work.

The interviewer was Christiane Weihe.

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Talking to eco@work: Tom Kirschey, Director of the Centre of Competence for Nature-based Climate Action (KNK)