A number of opportunities have opened up to adress the challenges created by climate change through, among others, expanding protections of forests and by doing so, conserving biodiversity.
Land and forests can both be a source and a sink of carbon. Agriculture, forestry and other land use activities make up 23% of all anthropogenic emissions worldwide. However, land is currently a net-sink of carbon, as trees, soil and other ecosystems sequester 29% of anthropogenic emissions. If emissions are reduced and storage enhanced above current carbon sinks, land could provide 1/3 of global emission reductions needed to meet 2030 goals.
This can be achieved by around 20 different activities, so called natural climate solutions, focusing on protecting natural ecosystems from degradation or deforestation by managing the lands to e.g. enhance biodiversity and restore forests, while maintaining economic livelihoods.
Natural Climate Solutions are generally financed through carbon pricing mechanisms. Today there are around 60 carbon pricing initiatives seeking to reduce emissions across a number of sectors.
