Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in education

Two completed EU projects, NBS EduWORLD and NBS Academy, have left behind a rich set of policy recommendations and teacher resources on Nature-Based Solutions in education. Explore what's now available for policymakers and educators.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) use nature and ecosystems. As opposed to purely technological solutions, NBS are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits, and help build resilience to climate change. NBS bring more nature and biodiversity to cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, systemic interventions. Examples of NBS are green roofs and green walls to cool down cities in the summer, parks to combat pollution and provide leisure and exercise to citizens, green corridors connecting natural areas, urban food gardens, etc.

However, the educational potential of NBS remains largely unexplored, whilst innovative programmes and resources around NBS are currently missing from formal and informal education programmes for children and families.

NBS education involves nature-based solutions in teaching and learning processes and in the curriculum. It connects the use of ecosystems and natural processes with addressing societal challenges in modern societies. NBS education is described as a holistic understanding of ecosystems and their interconnectedness, emphasizing the importance of preserving biodiversity, resilience, and the services provided by natural systems. It can place a strong emphasis on involving the local context in the planning and implementation of nature-based solutions, recognising the importance of community participation and empowerment.

European Schoolnet has participated in several EU funded projects to support NBS Education in Europe offering evidence from research and practice, raising awareness on the benefits of NBS education and providing guidance to teachers.

Discover the resources available on NBS education

Building on scientific evidence and on experiences from NBS demonstration projects in cities, a Nature-Based Solutions Pilot Project in 2020, exploited research results to develop innovative educational programmes and resources to raise awareness of nature-based solutions and their benefits among children, young people and their families.

The project was initiated and funded by the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation and coordinated by PPMI, in collaboration with European Schoolnet (EUN).

From 2023 to 2025, NBS EduWORLD targeted all levels and types of education (formal, informal and non-formal) to make citizens aware and supported in the understanding of the value and transformative potential of nature in urban, rural and coastal areas. Through this work, communities should become more prepared, cohesive and participative in engaging with nature and using the benefits of nature to solve some of the world's most pressing environmental, social and economic challenges.

To achieve these objectives and much more, the project brought together a unique consortium of researchers, educators, NBS practitioners, and even theatre performers and sports community members with the shared goal to create an NBS EduWORLD, a community that makes a difference.

Among the resources of this project, you can find:

Policy resources:

NBS EduWORLD Policy Recommendations: This report presents key insights, lessons, and actionable policy recommendations for integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into education and training systems across the European Union. It builds on 3 years of research, experimentation, and stakeholder engagement , drawing from the experiences of 15 partners working across (NBS) educational levels and European contexts. The report addresses existing gaps in policy, practice, and institutional coordination. Structured around governance levels (EU, national, municipal/local) and cross-sectoral policy domains (e.g., health, business, tourism), the report outlines how NBS education can be mainstreamed through existing frameworks and adapted to local realities. A focus is placed on enabling conditions, such as funding, teacher support, policy alignment, and community partnerships, that can drive systemic change. The recommendations are intended for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders working at the intersection of education, environment, urban planning, and social policy.
Youth Inclusion Toolkit for local policymakers

Educational resources for teachers:

Find all NBS EduWORLD resources

Funded by the EU, the project NBS Academy (2023-2026) brought together teacher educators, pre-service and in service teachers, researchers, policymakers, education stakeholders and European partners with a shared goal: to strengthen green competences and support the use of Nature-Based Solutions as a practical and inspiring approach in education. Through training activities, policy dialogue, research, dissemination actions, local events, and the development of educational resources, the project contributed to making NBS education more visible, accessible and relevant for teacher training across Europe. Innovative ITE (Initial Teacher Education) and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programmes were developed and implemented in six different countries, covering different geographical, cultural and linguistic areas of the EU. The cultural diversity and multilingualism was celebrated by implementing the training programmes via a blended mobility approach (including a Summer School, as well as distance VR mobility training). Following the training programmes implementation, NBS Academy evaluated and validated its results and raised awareness among education professionals on the benefits of NBS Education, to impact the quality of teacher education in Europe and inform European and national policies.

Policy resources:

Policy recommendations - NBS academy
Policy brief: From Pockets of Practice to Systemic Integration: Pathways for mainstreaming nature-based solutions in European teacher education. Across Europe, nature-based solutions (NBS) in teacher education are moving from isolated, teacher-led initiatives towards emerging system-level practice. However, without clear concepts and structural as well as operational support for educators, these pockets of practice will not scale. Policy dialogues conducted in April 2026 with the European Schoolnet's Ministries of Education STEM Working Group identified teacher time and teacher confidence as the main challenges across countries; confusion between outdoor learning, sustainability education and NBS as a key challenge for teachers; child-protection rules and unstructured NGO partnerships as concrete operational blockers to outdoor practice.
Policy brief: Anchoring nature-based solutions in national teacher education, Evidence from six pilot countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece and Sweden.

Educational resources for teachers:

NBS Academy resource hub - NBS academy: Using the 6-step thinking tool you can ask questions and explore possibilities and solutions through using the tool as an online resource together with the online toolkit which operates as an online resources' repository. Additionally, the thinking tool and resources hub are connected to Greencompand DigComp frameworks developed by the European Commission.
a Train-the-Trainer Toolkit
a MOOC hosted on European Schoolnet Academy

All project results, educational materials, policy briefs, publications and resources remain available on the NBS Academy website:

NBS Academy resources

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