Expanding Nature-Based Solutions

Accelerating nature-based solutions to achieve California’s climate change goals

Our lands are a critical yet underutilized sector in California’s critically urgent effort to build a resilient, equitable, and carbon neutral future. Healthy landscapes can sequester and store carbon, limit future greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, protect people and nature from the impacts of climate change, and build resilience to future impacts of climate change. Unhealthy landscapes have the opposite effect – they release more greenhouse gases than they store, worsen climate risks to people and nature, and are more vulnerable to future climate change impacts.

In October 2020, Governor Newsom outlined a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California through Executive Order N-82-20. It called for restoring nature and landscape health to deliver on our climate change goals and other critical priorities, including improving public health and safety, securing our food and water supplies, and achieving greater equity across California.

ASSEMBLY BILL 1757 IMPLEMENTATION

Building on this agenda, Assembly Bill 1757 (signed by the Governor September 2022) requires the California Natural Resources Agency to determine an ambitious range of targets for nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions to support state goals to achieve carbon neutrality and foster climate adaptation and resilience by January 1, 2024, in collaboration with the California Air Resources Board, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the expert advisory committee described below.

This effort reflects California’s commitment to increase climate action in our natural and working lands sector, meeting or exceeding levels called for in the Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality, the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy, and the California Climate Adaptation Strategy.

Insights shared by the public deeply shaped the development of California’s first Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy. We thank you for the public input provided throughout 2023 in shaping the development of these targets around the experience and expertise of climate leaders and groups across California and beyond.

Please find more information directly below about the AB 1757 Natural and Working Lands Expert Advisory Committee, and their 2023 meetings, which is helping to also shape the development of the NWL targets most immediately and support the continued implementation of AB 1757 through 2024.

Natural and Working Lands Expert Advisory Committee

This Natural and Working Lands Expert Advisory Committee will support the implementation of AB 1757. AB 1757 directs the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Air Resources Board to establish an expert advisory committee to inform and review modeling and analyses for natural and working lands, to advise state agencies on implementation strategies and standardized accounting, and to provide recommendations on addressing barriers to efficient implementation of climate action in natural and working lands.

Learn more about our committee members here.

Frequently asked questions about this committee can be found here.

Upcoming Meetings

The next meeting of the Expert Advisory Committee meeting will be on November 13 from 1 PM – 3:30 PM and will be fully virtual. Please find the agenda here and register here if joining remotely.

Past Meetings

Materials from the October 12 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda from the October 12 meeting is here
Recording from the October 12 meeting is here

Materials from the August 22 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda from the August 22 meeting is here
Recording from the August 22 meeting is here

Materials from the July 18 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda from the July 18 meeting is here
Recording from the July 18 meeting is here

Materials from the May 22 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda from the May 22 meeting is here
Recording from the May 22 meeting is here

Materials from the April 25 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda from the April 25 meeting is here
The recap of the April 25 meeting can be found here.

Materials from the March 28 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda of the March 28 meeting is here.
Recording from the March 28 meeting is here.

Materials from the Feb 10 Expert Advisory Committee

Agenda of the Feb 10 Expert Advisory Committee is here.
Recording from the Feb 10 meeting is here.
PowerPoint presentations can be accessed here and here.

Annual Progress and Priorities Listening Session

On December 2, 2022, the California Natural Resources Agency held its first annual Natural and Working Lands - Progress and Priorities listening session to inform the state’s update on implementation of the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy. Participants provided reflections on progress made in 2022 and priorities for climate action in the natural and working lands sector in 2023. Following the listening session, state representatives from CNRA, CDFA, and CARB solicited feedback on near-term next steps for AB 1757 implementation.

Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy

The Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy will drive implementation of the Governor’s Executive Order and expanded climate action in this sector, which has been called for in California’s Climate Change Scoping Plan and California’s recently updated Climate Adaptation Strategy.

California’s first Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy was released on April 22, 2022.

Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (full size 25 MB)

Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (reduced size 10 MB)

Estrategia Climáticamente Inteligente De Tierras Naturales Y De Trabajo (en Español)

Appendices

Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is required by Senate Bill 27 (Skinner, 2021) to create a Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry. The Registry is intended to facilitate funding of nature-based and direct air capture projects that deliver on California’s climate goals.

Please visit this page for answered Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to SB 27 and the Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry.

NEW: On June 30, 2023, CNRA launched a beta version of the SB 27 California Carbon Sequestration and Climate Resiliency Project Registry for user testing and feedback. The beta site can be accessed at the following link: https://climateprojectregistry.resources.ca.gov/. CNRA is requesting feedback regarding user interface and experience be sent to naturebasedsolutions@resources.ca.gov by COB, Friday, August 18th to be considered in the final Registry design. Please note that this a beta version of the Registry and projects cannot currently be listed or backed at this time. The projects currently listed on the Registry are for demonstration purposes only and are to allow users to see how projects could be displayed, searched, and evaluated for backing.

CNRA released a pre-rulemaking document, a Concept Discussion Draft regarding SB 27 implementation on March 29, 2023. This document was open for public comment until May 30, 2023. The Concept Discussion Draft contains two appendices, Appendix A: Draft Regulationand Appendix B: Illustrative Eligible Projects.”

Language services may be provided upon request. To ensure availability of these services, please make sure your request is submitted at least 15 business days prior to the comment period deadline by contacting outreach@resources.ca.gov.

CNRA hosted a virtual public workshop on the Concept Discussion Draft on May 9, 2023. In this workshop, CNRA staff provided an overview of SB 27, walked through the Concept Discussion Draft, and facilitated discussion among workshop participants. A recording of this workshop can be found here.

In early September 2022, CNRA held two public workshops to gather feedback on the development of the project registry. Please see the following recording of the workshop plenary for more information.