Canada’s forests are among the world’s most important carbon sinks and a powerful defence against climate change. They are also home to rural, remote, and Indigenous communities that rely on forests for their sustenance, culture, and economic prosperity.
Natural climate solutions (NCS), which are deliberate human activities that work with nature to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, could address the global climate and biodiversity crises simultaneously. Natural climate solutions grounded in community values can support local priorities, including cultural revitalization, employment opportunities, food security, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The Natural Climate Solutions Toolkit provides open-access information about natural climate solutions in Canada. Ecotrust Canada’s Climate Resilience team is currently supporting Indigenous-led natural climate solutions projects to achieve their stewardship priorities and emissions reduction objectives on the landscape.
In 2022, Ecotrust Canada established a 5-year contribution agreement with Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) program.
As part of this work, we are creating tools and knowledge-transfer content to encourage high-quality NSCSF applications, as well as supporting communities in applying to the Fund and implementing their NSCSF projects.
Ecotrust Canada is currently supporting a handful of Indigenous-led projects funded through NSCSF to achieve their stewardship priorities and emissions reduction objectives on the landscape.