Bridging Technology and Nature to Combat Climate Change

Edwin Seah, NbS Partnerships Lead at the SCeNe Coalition, in an interview with Carbon Wire, underscores the urgency of nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate resilience. Despite their substantial benefits for carbon sequestration and ecosystem protection, NbS face funding and expertise shortages. The Coalition’s tools and resources aim to empower Southeast Asian frontline organizations, marrying technology with NbS for scalable impact. Seah also highlights the challenges of implementation and the promising potential of tropical rainforests and coastal wetlands in carbon absorption.

CW: In what ways might the neglect of nature-based solutions today exacerbate the challenges of climate change for future populations?

EDWIN: Nature-based Solutions (NbS) act to protect, restore, and sustainably manage forests, farms, wetlands, and grasslands, and can potentially contribute one-third of the carbon mitigation needed to stabilise the climate. They also offer a host of practical benefits for people, wildlife, and nature by protecting biodiversity, valuable habitats, and ecosystem functions that reduce our vulnerability to climate disasters, while providing food security and jobs.

Neglecting NbS could lead to fewer natural defenses and higher greenhouse gas emissions which contribute further to the intensification of climate change impacts over time. This would leave our generation and future ones more exposed and vulnerable to climate-related disasters, such as loss of vital resources, damage to infrastructure, disruption of livelihoods, economic losses and increased health-related issues and costs.

CW: What are the primary natural climate solutions you are currently working on/researching for carbon reduction and removal?

EDWIN: Currently, the challenge is that the global investment in NbS is grossly insufficient to meet the world’s agreed-upon climate change and biodiversity targets. At present, only US$133 billion/year is flowing into NbS globally, less than a quarter of what is needed to have an impact. Private finance contributes only 14% annually.

In addition to a lack of financial investment, there is also a gap in effective on the ground expertise and validation. Frontline Organisations (FOs) – typically smaller, local, and community-based grassroots groups (including NGOs, associations of indigenous communities, smallholder cooperatives, and farmers’ groups) – lack the expertise and resources to scope, implement, and scale high quality NbS projects. Neither do they possess the necessary networks to link with climate finance and carbon markets.

As such, this leads to missed opportunities to increase supply of high-quality NbS projects, which can preserve the region’s endangered species and increase resilience of local communities across SEA.

That is one of the reasons why the SCeNe Coalition was established, and why we are focusing our attention on this region. We want to help address these challenges, and we are developing a suite of tools and resources (NbS Tool, NbS Portfolio, NbS Incubator designed to support the delivery of and investment in high-quality, triple-benefit NbS in SEA.

The NbS Tool provides analysis of current conditions and triple-benefit data for users. This is an important function that helps FOs and investors evaluate project baseline data by specifying the project location and leveraging spatial analysis capabilities. It empowers users to make informed decisions based on over 40 data layers on nature, people and climate.

The NbS Portfolio, a new feature to be added to the tool, is designed to showcase a set of criteria on biodiversity and social outcomes for high-quality NbS projects. It will also showcase high-integrity triple-benefit NbS projects, which will inform market participants about NbS best practices and high-quality NbS projects from the region.

While the NbS Tool is the first step in the NbS project assessment stage, project-specific data and information from the Tool will support further technical assistance to FOs via the NbS Incubator. This NbS Incubator aims to deliver scientific, regulatory, technical, technological, financial, and business development support to FOs at various stages of project development, from pre-feasibility through to carbon sales.

Through these three workstreams, we aim to achieve our objectives of directing carbon and climate finance towards just and equitable climate mitigation and adaptation work and to the conservation of biodiversity and critical habitat. They will also accelerate and scale up high-integrity demand for and supply of NbS and demonstrate what quality NbS for climate looks like, ensuring the growth of NbS for Climate genuinely delivers positive, triple impacts for climate, nature and equitable benefits for local people in SEA.

CW: What are the challenges you face in convincing an increasingly techno-optimist world on the value of natural climate solutions?

EDWIN: Convincing an increasingly techno-optimist world of the value of natural climate solutions (NbS) could be challenging but can be addressed by highlighting the synergies between technology and NbS initiatives – and how technology is the perfect partner for FO-led NbS for climate projects.

Technology is an enabler, allowing FOs access to data, knowledge and information, ensuring data accuracy and consistency, and aiding project monitoring and assessment.

Take for example, the NbS Tool that the SCeNe Coalition developed, in which Version 1 was launched at COP28. The NbS tool democratises access to knowledge, technical assistance, and climate finance so that FOs across SEA can engage in NbS projects with full awareness and consent. With the Tool, FOs can access data, develop project documentation, and enhance their capacity and capability to participate in NbS projects that can channel climate and carbon finance. The Tool also plays a comprehensive role in directing carbon investor funds toward FOs in SEA and is simultaneously committed to raising industry standards by enhancing approaches for estimating, measuring, and documenting the diverse impacts of NbS projects, emphasising not only environmental but also community and biodiversity outcomes.

The NbS Tool serves as a tangible example of this harmonious integration, demonstrating the potential for technology and natural climate solutions to work hand-in-hand for a sustainable future.

CW: What are the most promising natural habitats or ecosystems for carbon sequestration according to you and why?

EDWIN: In SEA, tropical rainforests are naturally one of the most promising ecosystems due to their dense vegetation and rapid growth rates, enabling effective absorption and retention of substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. In addition to these terrestrial forests or green carbon, mangroves and coastal wetlands are also significant sources for carbon sequestration. These ecosystems, recognised as ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems, hold immense significance in carbon storage, owing to their rich organic matter and remarkable adaptability to saline environments.

These ecosystems extend beyond serving as carbon sinks, and are crucial barriers against storm surges, flooding, and erosion while providing indispensable natural resources for communities that depend on them.

As such, SEA holds great promise in leveraging NbS to tackle the climate challenge. It is home to more than 650 million people, contains 15% of the world’s tropical forests, 20% of the world’s vertebrate and plant species, and 25% of the world’s investible forest carbon. It also holds the highest potential for carbon mitigation through NbS investments.

Ultimately, the SCeNe Coalition believes NbS for climate projects must deliver measurable and verifiable triple-benefits including high-integrity green and blue carbon impact, protection, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity and critical habitats, and safeguard, empower and engage local communities by strengthening their rights and benefits and involvement in climate resilience and adaptation efforts.

We have thus identified seven pilot projects for support from the NbS Incubator which will enable the NbS Tool to be deployed. These projects cover forest protection and restoration, the establishment of ecological corridors, and protection of peatland ecosystems and low land forests. They will also enhance habitat protection and expansion for (critically) endangered and vulnerable species, and restore connectivity for threatened flagship species including tigers, elephants and orangutans.

Importantly, these projects are led by FOs and will engage communities in forest landscape restoration and enhance livelihood opportunities across villages through sustainable business development, facilitate establishment of community-based enterprises of non-timber forest products, and sustainable aquaculture.

CW: Can you discuss any challenges or limitations you’ve encountered in implementing natural climate solutions at scale?

EDWIN: As part of the SCeNe Coalition’s efforts to support FOs to develop NbS projects, one of the primary challenges revolves around securing adequate funding and resources. While the potential of NbS in SEA is vast, the financial resources required to accelerate and scale up is a challenge. This is particularly so because almost all public funding and private capital do not support early-stage development of NbS projects, but this is also where NbS projects in the region need to start. Having said that, we are heartened to see more philanthropic organisations stepping in. Hopefully, we will see more funding opportunities from public and multilateral organisations to step in and help fill the funding gap together with philanthropic organisations.

Another significant challenge lies in navigating complex land-use dynamics and ensuring the engagement of various stakeholders on the ground. Implementing NbS involves managing land and resources effectively, which can sometimes clash with competing interests or existing land-use practices. Ensuring that these solutions align with local communities’ needs and garnering their support is crucial for successful implementation.

Measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) also pose challenges particularly in quantifying the impact and effectiveness of NbS. Accuracy requires robust monitoring frameworks, standardised methodologies and transparency, which can be resource-intensive and technically challenging, particularly in remote or diverse ecosystems.

CW: What recent advancements or innovations in the field of natural climate solutions have excited you the most?

EDWIN: Geospatial technologies, remote sensing, artificial intelligence and equipment like drones help to enhance access to data, allow for more accurate measurement and monitoring, improve project efficiencies and help increase the viability of scoping, assessing and implementing NbS projects. This is especially true for a vast region like SEA and for the scale of projects the SCeNe Coalition is seeking to support frontline organisations to develop – especially through our recently launched NbS Tool.