Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg (RLL), a flagship initiative jointly developed by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity (MECB) of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (GDL) and the Centre for International Forestry Research and the World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF), was formalized in August 2023 with the objective to accelerate the urgently needed scaling up of investment in sustainable landscapes.

Science is a key ingredient in ensuring evidence-based quality investments in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to prevent climate change and biodiversity loss. Science also guides the design of innovative tools that support high-level impact ambitions and commitments by providing concrete scientific evidence and solutions to those global challenges. While the relationship between science and business has been evolving, there is still a need to improve the dialogue between the two fields to create synergies with substantive impact.

In an effort to address this challenge, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and CIFOR-ICRAF established Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg (RLL), to connect science with high-impact NbS investment opportunities throughout the geographies of landscape investment. In doing so, the initiative is aligned with result-binding commitments which are being made under Luxembourg initiatives such as the Luxembourg International Climate Finance Strategy (2021-2025), Luxembourg’s National Strategy and Action Plan, as an effort to fulfill its international commitments under the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement.

Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg enables the design, execution, acceleration and learning of large-scale science backed projects with an emphasis on the climate and biodiversity nexus, among others. Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg assesses NbS project impact and connects them to investors’ impact targets and indicators. It also connects with global supply chains and financial investors seeking to develop NbS projects in a science-based manner to better manage risks and enhance financial and public good returns.

For the way forward, Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg will be playing a key role in emphasizing the importance of human, environmental and social aspects, with robust, science-based metrics and impact results to enable the private sector to make real changes for nature and people.