13 April 2026

New tools available: advancing the benefits of nature-based solutions

Invest4Nature presents new toolbox and insights to enable markets for nature-based solutions.

Despite the multiple benefits of nature-based solutions (NbS) – environmental  social and economic values – they are not systematically understood. There is currently no standard method to calculate the economic and financial benefits that can be used to back their investment case. Too often, NbS projects struggle to compete with traditional “grey” infrastructure because their benefits, such as improved health, biodiversity, or climate resilience, are not fully captured in financial decision-making. The financial valuation in the various areas of environment, society, or economy is an important indicator for financial stakeholders such as investors and insurances in building support for nature-based solutions. So how can local authorities use financial valuation to attract funding and scale nature-based solutions?

 

The Climate Alliance project Invest4Nature aims at unlocking investments in nature-based solutions by creating an evaluation framework to analyse the costs and benefits from NbS, developing a Decision Support (DS) toolbox to facilitate comparison of grey/green solutions and develop business models that lead to NbS implementation. The project has now released two practical and insightful instruments.

Empowering municipalities: the Decision Support Toolbox

Invest4Nature developed the Decision Support (DS) Toolbox, a user-friendly digital platform designed to help municipalities assess the costs and benefits of NbS projects.

 

The DS Toolbox enables municipalities to:

  • Evaluate different NbS scenarios and compare them with conventional solutions
  • Quantify economic, environmental, and social impacts
  • Support evidence-based decision-making and investment planning
  • Strengthen project proposals when seeking funding or partnerships

Importantly, the toolbox translates complex methodologies into an accessible format, making it easier for municipalities with limited technical resources to carry out robust analyses. It empowers local decision-makers to move from intuition to evidence, and from ambition to actionable investment strategies.

Shaping the policy landscape: recommendations for Europe and beyond

Invest4Nature developed a series of policy briefs aiming at improving both local and EU-level policy frameworks, necessary to enable a wider implementation of nature-based solutions. These documents provide targeted recommendations to create enabling conditions for NbS investment, drawing on the project’s practical experience and broader research. The policy briefs cover key topics such as:

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Explore the toolbox

Have questions? Get in touch!

Hélène Rizzotti

T. +49 69 717 139 -20
E. h.rizzotti@climatealliance.org