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Urban green infrastructure is often promoted as a form of nature-based solutions (NbS) designed to simultaneously address environmental, social, and economic challenges. These interventions are expected to deliver benefits across all three dimensions. While existing evidence suggests that urban NbS can indeed tackle multiple issues concurrently, it remains unclear to what extent different components of green infrastructure contribute to these outcomes, and how this translates into practical decisions related to pl...

The transition to renewable energy is a high-priority agenda across Europe, particularly in Northern Europe. This shift is critical for achieving both environmental and economic sustainability. Northern Europe, with its high energy consumption and strong support for green policies, has the potential to lead in this transition. However, the region faces a unique set of social and ecological challenges that, if not carefully addressed, could undermine the sustainability of proposed solutions, harm natural ecosystems...

Nature-based Solutions represent a set of powerful tools that are intended to reconcile often conflicting economic and nature conservation goals. Rapid infrastructure development threatens biodiversity globally. In this context application of Biodiversity Net Gain strategies start to gain traction. One possible approach to achieve the Net Gain outcomes is to apply Nature-based Solutions. It is, however, important to understand that application of the solutions does not guarantee biodiversity outcomes that could co...

The current dramatic pace of biodiversity loss requires immediate and decisive action. The Nature Positive Agenda implies recovery of lost natural ecosystems and gain of new ones that would overcompensate for biodiversity loss. Achievement of such an ambitious agenda is not trivial. It requires mobilization of resources and stakeholders across public and private sectors. Obviously, efforts of protected area establishment are not sufficient as it only implies protection of existing habitats, not gain of new ones. G...

Geopark networks are expanding globally, with the main purpose to protect geoheritage. In many places of the world geopark sites are associated with local cultural heritage and indigenous people. These links sometimes are synergistic, whereby geoparks serve as important protected areas that allow for preservation of important cultural objects and even support livelihoods of indigenous people. However, in some cases geopark development is perceived negatively by local communities and might have potentially damaging...

Food security is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed in order to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals. Currently multiple technologies are used in conventional agricultural practices, including application of artificial intelligence and GIS. However, the technologies are rarely considered in sustainable farming practices. Organic agriculture, although gaining traction in recent times, mostly relies on traditional, rather than technologically advanced approaches. There are, however, mult...

A Geopark is a demarcated area with particularly interesting geologic heritage. Since the physical landscape is intimately related to both cultural and ecological characteristics, knowledge about geological sites can be essential for management of the resources in these settings. In this context, we suggest the term “Landscape Geopark” in order to stress the regional system perspective. Therefore, various stakeholders need to be included in Geopark planning, including researchers, tourists, seasonal and permanent ...