We at the Learning Street were very fortunate to contribute to the creation of the CEN (European Committee of Standardization) framework
The world is currently facing three major, interconnected problems: climate change, the loss of nature, and rising pollution. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and overusing land, are making the earth warmer and destroying the natural „buffers“ that protect us from disasters. Pollution further weakens the planet’s ability to heal itself. While these issues pose massive risks to our economies and the most vulnerable people, they also share common solutions. For instance, protecting a wetland doesn’t just save wildlife; it also prevents floods and captures carbon, showing that helping nature is a powerful way to protect ourselves.
To address these challenges, a specialized workshop was held to create clear rules and measurements for „nature-based“ financial solutions. The goal is to encourage insurance companies and investors to fund projects that use nature—such as forests or reefs—to reduce disaster risk. Currently, there is a lack of clear standards for these types of investments. By providing transparent guidelines, this initiative helps bridge the funding gap, making it easier for the financial world to support environmental projects that are both fair to people and economically sound.
This work is part of a larger European project called NATURANCE, which brings together experts to bridge the gap between environmental science and the finance industry. Because global regulations now require companies to report their impact on the climate and nature, businesses need reliable data to make decisions. The workshop aims to define what makes a nature-based solution „material“—meaning it is effective enough to actually influence an investment or insurance deal. By creating these shared metrics, the project helps turn environmental protection into a practical, everyday part of the global economy.
NATURANCE Project Objectives
| Objective | Focus Area | Simple Explanation |
| 1. Connectivity | Knowledge Networks | Bringing together experts from different fields to share what they know. |
| 2. Innovation | New Financial Solutions | Looking for new and fair ways to use insurance and investment to protect nature. |
| 3. Policy | Rules & Governance | Studying which laws and government rules help „green“ insurance succeed. |
| 4. Analysis | Measuring Success | Creating tools and math models to prove exactly how well nature-based solutions reduce risks. |
| 5. Awareness | Education & Growth | Teaching people about nature-friendly finance to help create real, lasting change. |
23.02.2026