U.S. Nature 4 Climate is the United States-branch of the international Nature 4 Climate Initiative, which is based in London and collaborates with international left-of-center environmentalist groups and the United Nations Environment Programme to promote left-of-center environmental policies.

Both Nature 4 Climate and U.S. Nature 4 Climate are projects of The Nature Conservancy, a left-of-center environmental advocacy organization. U.S. Nature 4 Climate is operated by U.S.-based staff members of the Nature Conservancy and is described as a coalition of 26 environmental organizations that promote “Natural Climate Solutions,” defined as reforestation and environmentalist-aligned land management policies. Member organizations of U.S. Nature 4 Climate include the U.S. Climate Alliance, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the Environmental Defense Fund. ^{1 2}

Background

U.S. Nature 4 Climate was launched by the international Nature 4 Climate Initiative in September 2020 as the U.S.-based chapter of Nature 4 Climate, which was launched in 2017 to push international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme to incorporate what the organization calls “Natural Climate Solutions” into worldwide efforts to slow global warming. ^{3 4}

U.S. Nature 4 Climate’s goal is to push to incorporate similar policies at the national level in the United States. The organization defines natural climate solutions as “conservation, restoration and improved land management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help remove carbon from the atmosphere.” It further states that “These practices have the potential to contribute up to 30 percent of the solution to climate change in the U.S., and include activities ranging from cover cropping to tree planting and improved forest management to grassland and sea grass restoration.” The group also notes that its efforts also include attempts to push private landowners to adopt similar policies. ⁵

Parent Organization

Both U.S. Nature 4 Climate and Nature 4 Climate are projects of the Nature Conservancy, the world’s largest conservation organization that consistently ranks on the Forbes list of the 100 largest U.S.-based charities. The Nature Conservancy has affiliates in all 50 U.S. states and 72 countries, with 3,600 worldwide employees. TNC’s primary agenda is to promote conservation practices and left-of-center environmental policies. The tools it uses to accomplish this objective are like the tools promoted by Nature 4 Climate and include conservation easements and debt-for-nature swaps, which it claims to have used to protect 119 million acres of land, “thousands of river miles,” and “more than 100 marine projects.” ^{6 7 8}

U.S. Nature 4 Climate is operated by Nathan Henry, who also works as the associate director of marketing at the Nature Conservancy. Henry was previously a political consultant and was campaign manager to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) and interned in the Clinton White House in addition to consulting work on behalf of many Democratic candidates and left-of-center organizations. ⁹

Funding

U.S. Nature 4 Climate states that it is funded by the Nature Conservancy with additional funding from a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation. ¹⁰

Member Organizations

U.S. Nature 4 Climate’s coalition members include American Forests, Environmental & Energy Study Institute, Hispanic Access Foundation, Land Trust Alliance, Native American Agriculture Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, U.S. Climate Alliance, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action, 1t.org US, American Farmland Trust, American Forest Foundation, Bipartisan Policy Center, Ceres, Conservation International, Environmental Defense Fund, Ocean Conservancy, Restore America’s Estuaries, Savanna Institute, Soil Health Institute, the Land Institute, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Trust for Public Land, WILDCOAST, Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Resources Institute. ¹¹

1. “About.” U.S. Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://usnature4climate.org/about/
2. “About.” Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://nature4climate.org/about/
3. “U.S. Nature4Climate Launches to Highlight Role of Natural Climate Solutions to Slow Climate Change.” U.S. Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://usnature4climate.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Final-USN4C-Launch-Press-Release.pdf
4. “About.” Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://nature4climate.org/about/
5. “U.S. Nature4Climate Launches to Highlight Role of Natural Climate Solutions to Slow Climate Change.” U.S. Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://usnature4climate.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Final-USN4C-Launch-Press-Release.pdf
6. “The Nature Conservancy.” Forbes. Accessed May 18, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/companies/nature-conservancy/#7d2d76c541d2
7. “How We Work: Private Lands Conservation.” The Nature Conservancy. Accessed April 10, 2019. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/private-lands-conservation/?tab_q=tab_container-tab_element_670
8. “Who We Are.” Nature Conservancy. Accessed April 10, 2019. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/
9. “Nathan Henry.” LinkedIn Profile. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanjhenry/details/experience/
10. “About.” U.S. Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://usnature4climate.org/about/
11. “About.” U.S. Nature 4 Climate. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://usnature4climate.org/about/