Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I move amendment No. 25:

In page 7, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “ ‘nature based solutions’ means locally adapted, resource-efficient, cost-effective and systemic interventions supported by nature, which simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits incorporating more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes;”.

This amendment is a definition of nature-based solutions. I welcome that nature-based solutions have been incorporated in the Bill but it is important to define what we mean when talking about these things. Many of these things are new concepts, such as the just transition, which is not a concept with which everyone is familiar. Similarly, “nature-based solutions” is not a term with which everyone is familiar. There is a risk with nature-based solutions that people could look to a stand of trees and think that it is a nature-based solution because it captures carbon. However, when talking about nature-based solutions, they must also have environmental and biodiversity benefits. Otherwise we may do more damage than we want. This amendment sets out the definition of nature-based solutions, as a guiding principle and for indication in the Bill.