Accelerating Action on California’s Climate Policies and Plans for Working and Natural Lands.

The fight against climate change is at a pivotal moment. Nature-based solutions (NBS) and natural and working lands have the potential to lessen greenhouse gas emissions and help our communities and environments become more resilient. The Nature Conservancy estimates that “[g]lobally, natural climate solutions could deliver up to a third of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

California is a world leader on environmental protection, both historically and with the state's current climate policies and goals. The recent passage of Assembly Bill 1757, which calls for deepening California’s NBS approach on climate, and Proposition 4, which prioritizes climate-risk protection for communities and natural and working lands, open opportunities to move policy into action. 

This is why Volgenau Climate Initiative gathered leaders from the private sector, nonprofits organizations, philanthropy, local, state and federal agencies, and farming and ranching organizations to discuss where collective action could make the most difference. Our attendees came with extensive backgrounds focused on agriculture, urban greening and wetlands as we focused on the potential of these particular natural and working lands to play a key role in California’s NBS plans.

The retreat was hosted at Paicines Ranch, in Paicines, California. The ranch, run by participant Sallie Calhoun for thirty years, is a model of regenerative agriculture, dedicated to healthy food, soils and systems. The setting in California’s Central Valley and Sallie’s stories of management decisions, triumphs and tribulations, grounded our work in natural systems and the people who live, work and love them.

Throughout the retreat, participants delved into deep questions about how to achieve enduring and systemic change. They examined regulatory and permitting roadblocks within governmental agencies, explored the importance of success stories and storytelling, crafted funding strategies, and discussed how to support practitioners at the local and regional levels.

These shared moments were a powerful reminder that laughter and play, relationships and creativity, and time with nature are such a huge part of this process of change. At the close of our retreat, our attendees outlined five action plans to propel forward the work of enacting NBS.

• Local & Regional Network: Build a network of technical assistance providers that can meet training needs, implement NBS, collect data, tell stories and drive local and regional policy.

• Storytelling: Create compelling communication resources for NBS advocates and practitioners, such as district-by-district talking points and project maps of current and potential NBS projects, to garner support in the state legislature and beyond.

• Increasing Risk Tolerance to Achieve Outcomes: Make the case for supporting risk-taking and streamlined processes within governmental agencies in order to speed action and meet climate goals.

• Strategy & Funding: Identify high-potential funding sources and present evidence for significant investment in NBS in the next 12 to 24 months, including advocating for 25% of the greenhouse gas reduction fund.

• Accessible NBS Website: Design a website that includes easily accessible lists of NBS funding opportunities and additional information.

VCI will be assessing how funding can best support these initiatives and aid in their efforts to protect our climate and future.