Green Prescribing: Nature’s Role in Global Wellbeing
By the Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA)
Introduction
Green social prescribing is transforming the way communities access health and wellbeing support by connecting people to nature-based activities that improve mental, physical, and social health. It empowers link workers and other trusted professionals to guide individuals especially those facing complex life challenges toward green and blue activities such as local walking groups, gardening, open water swimming, conservation work, and cultural events in outdoor settings.
This approach is rooted in a person-centred model of care: starting with the question, “What matters to you?”, it recognizes that health is not only about clinical interventions but also about meaningful connection—to people, purpose, and place.
A Proven Model: The UK’s Green Social Prescribing Programme
The UK’s £5.77 million Green Social Prescribing Programme (2021–2023), supported by NHS England, DEFRA, and the National Academy for Social Prescribing, piloted this innovative model across seven Integrated Care Systems (ICSs). Targeted at communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and long-standing health inequalities, the programme demonstrated the following results:
- Over 8,500 referrals to green activities
- 85% uptake of prescriptions offered
- Positive mental health outcomes across demographics
- Stronger cross-sector collaboration, with green networks established locally
- Sustained delivery beyond the pilot phase, with integration into health policy The programme also generated rich learning on co-design, workforce development, access barriers, and cultural inclusion—especially through localised efforts to engage ethnic minority communities, socially isolated individuals, and people with lived experience of mental ill health.
International Benchmarking: Nature and Health Beyond Borders
Green social prescribing is gaining traction globally, aligned with several countries’ sustainable health and climate adaptation strategies:
- Finland: The “Nature Step to Health” initiative prescribes time in forests and nature to reduce stress and enhance immunity. Finnish GPs can prescribe time in the woods as part of national health guidance.
- Japan: Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing” is a government-endorsed preventive health activity. Medical research there links time in nature with reduced blood pressure and cortisol levels.
- New Zealand: Māori principles of hauora (wellbeing) embed nature as a core pillar of health. “Green prescriptions” are issued to patients via PHOs (Primary Health Organisations), linking them to community activity providers.
- Canada: The PaRx initiative allows physicians to prescribe nature as part of a national program supported by Parks Canada, offering free national park passes to patients. These models reflect a shared understanding: health systems must move upstream, integrate planetary and personal health, and engage with community assets to tackle chronic disease, mental ill-health, and inequality.
Quote from Gareth Presch, CEO of the Global Social Prescribing Alliance
“Green social prescribing is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t always come in a bottle—it often begins with the simple act of stepping outside. By investing in nature-based solutions, we’re not just improving health outcomes; we’re restoring a sense of connection, purpose, and belonging. The Global Social Prescribing Alliance supports countries worldwide to embed green social prescribing as part of a resilient, preventative, and person-centred health system.” — Gareth Presch, CEO, Global Social Prescribing Alliance
Dr. Heidi Albert, Head of the One Health Cities Centre, ICLEI
“Green and blue social prescribing are transformative tools for cities striving toward climate resilience and community health. By integrating access to natural and water-based environments into public health strategies, we not only support wellbeing but also nurture urban ecosystems and sustainability. As we localise the SDGs, these approaches offer real, scalable impact at the intersection of health, equity, and environmental stewardship.”
GSPA’s Role and Global Vision
The Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA) champions the integration of social prescribing, green, cultural, digital, and beyond into global health frameworks aligned with UN SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). Through collaboration with governments, healthcare systems, NGOs, and community partners, the GSPA is scaling up innovative practices like green social prescribing to build healthier, more equitable and sustainable societies.
With rising levels of mental health need, chronic conditions, and climate-related health stressors, nature-based interventions offer scalable, evidence-informed, low-carbon solutions that unify personal and planetary wellbeing.
Markus Müller, Chief Investment Officer ESG, Deutsche Bank
“Investing in nature-based solutions like green and blue social prescribing is not just a moral imperative it is an economic one. These interventions enhance social capital, reduce healthcare costs, and build resilience in the face of climate and biodiversity crises. Finance must recognise the value of wellbeing as a form of sustainable capital.”
Resources & Next Steps
Governments, healthcare leaders, and community organisations are encouraged to use the Green Social Prescribing Toolkit and research evidence produced by Natural England, the National Academy for Social Prescribing, and NHS England. The GSPA is working with international partners to adapt these tools for diverse cultural, environmental, and healthcare contexts.
Conclusion
Green social prescribing is more than an innovation it’s a movement. It calls us to reimagine care not as something done to people, but with them, in partnership with their communities and their environment. As the evidence grows and systems shift, the GSPA stands ready to support nations in embedding green social prescribing into their healthcare pathways for a healthier, greener future.