How to influence political decision-makers Top tips for making the case for NbS
How to influence political decision-makers: Top tips for making the case for NbS
We may think we have won the argument for implementing nature-based solutions (NbS) due to the high profile now given across all forms of media to the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis. Rarely does a day go by without some media attention being given to the impacts of flooding, heatwaves, or a social inequality, that we know could be fixed by investment in NbS.
Nevertheless, change can be slow; it often requires political objectives, economic circumstances and environmental concerns to be aligned so that decision-makers can see a solution to a problem (if they are in power) or an opportunity to highlight a solution to a problem (if you are in opposition) that the government or authority in power has failed to enact. And of course, many routine decisions at the programme and project level are not made by political leaders. Politicians may set new policy but decisions on major programmes and projects may have been made several years prior to new policy announcements.
A former senior policy officer at the Greater London Authority offers advice on how to create the right conditions to encourage political decision-makers to make the choices that support investment in NbS.
Offering a high level of transparency by selecting the most appropriate and effective available channels to share information with the involved team and external stakeholders.
4 M
- Methods
- Management
- Monitoring
City
- London
- Milan
- Belgrade
- Malmö
Creating a procurement process to find partners and stakeholders that can build and add synergies to the NbS implementation process.
4 M
- Methods
- Management
City
- London
- Milan
- Quito
Involving different departments of the municipality at the early-stages of the process, so that they are aware of the activities, objectives, needed contributions, fostering an active collaboration.
4 M
- Management
City
- Hamburg
- Milan
- Belgrade
- Larissa
- Madrid
- Malmö
- Quito
- Sfântu Gheorghe
Proposing a cyclical planning management process including a proper replication roadmap, aiming to ensure that the NbS planning fill the expectations with appropriate co-creation mechanism.
4 M
- Methods
- Management
City
- Hamburg
- Milan
- Belgrade
- Larissa
- Madrid
- Malmö
- Quito