What is Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF)?

The conservation and restoration of nature are necessary to reduce the increasing climate change. Climate change is warming oceans, causing sea levels to rise, changing precipitation and temperature, and melting glaciers, snow ice, and permafrost.  

So, to address climate change and biodiversity loss, the government of Canada has introduced the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF). In this article, we will learn about the NSCSF in Canada. 

Natural climate solutions are needed to fight the climate and nature crises as it helps in eliminating greenhouse gases from the air and conserving the earth’s adaptive potential to lower the risk from natural calamities. 

To focus on Canada's commitment towards protecting and conserving nature, the government of Canada has established the NSCSF which is managed by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (ECCC).  

The NSCSF supports partner-led projects which will help in reducing greenhouse gases and will increase carbon sequestration on Canadian soil.  

Also read: How does Canada’s forestry industry tackle climate change? 

What is the role of nature-based solutions?

Nature-based solutions are referred to as actions that help in conserving, sustainably managing, and restoring ecosystems. Its actions help the following:  

• Prevent biodiversity loss
• Improve air and water quality
• Secures the food supply
• Mitigate impacts of climate change by capturing and storing carbon emissions

What is NSCSF?

It is a C$ 631 million, ten-year fund that focuses on reducing around two to four megatons of greenhouse gas emissions per year. The fund will achieve this goal by supporting projects that will be engaged in conserving, enhancing, and restoring grasslands, wetlands, and peatlands to absorb and store carbon. 

The restoration, conservation, and enhancement of management of important habitats for migratory birds, at-risk species, and other species of cultural importance will be the focus of the NSCSF projects. 

The fund has three project streams, including a Place-based actions stream, a Sector-based policy stream, and a Reverse auction pilot stream.  

NSCSF Objectives

 For the Place-based action stream, NSCSF has launched a Request for Proposals (RFP), and for the Reverse auction pilot stream and the Sector-based policy stream, NSCSF has launched a Request for Letters of Intent (LOI). The NSCSF mainly focuses on reducing net greenhouse gas emissions in Canada by using natural climate solutions.  

The Sector-based policy stream is focusing on engaging those people who will be interested in the development of tools, policies, and programs to address systemic issues which are associated with the execution of nature-based climate solutions. 

The Place-based actions stream will be supporting grassland and wetland restoration and the enhancement of land management activities. These activities will focus on maximizing carbon sequestration and storage and improving habitat. 

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sequestration, the Reverse auction pilot stream is looking for those proposals that will be piloting the use of a reverse auction method for agricultural landscapes. 

Also read: What plans & actions is Canada taking to tackle climate change? 

An initiative of the Government of Canada

To conserve and restore carbon-rich ecosystems through applying nature-based solutions, the government of Canada offered up to C$ 200 million in December 2021.  

The funding will focus on helping individuals and organizations in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada through restoration, conservation, and enhancing the management of critical ecosystems.  

The supported projects would be focusing on the preservation of carbon-rich areas and the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The proposed projects will improve land management practices mainly in the forest, agriculture, and urban development sectors. 

Also read: What is the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999? 

The recipients who are eligible for the funding are the following: 

• Professional associations
• Non-governmental organizations
• Indigenous not-for-profit organizations
• Indigenous for-profit organizations
• Charitable and volunteer organizations
• Indigenous research, academic and educational institutions
• Canadian individuals
• Youth groups and service clubs
• Provincial, territorial, municipal, and local governments and their agencies 

Also read: What is Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) 2012? 

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Bottom line

The world is facing a climate and ecological crisis due to increasing climate change, which is impacting temperature, precipitation, water cycles, biodiversity, and causing floods, droughts, and wildfires. All these crises are a threat to human beings, wildlife, and habitat. So, to conserve nature important initiatives like the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund need to be taken and these can help Canada meet its goal of protecting 25 per cent of lands and oceans by 2025.