Grounding nature-based climate solutions in sound biodiversity science

Monday 28 Jan 2019
Grounding nature-based climate solutions in sound biodiversity science
Afforestation in climate policy runs the risk of compromising long-term carbon storage

We have a new paper out now in Nature Climate Change

Summary

The current narrow focus on afforestation in climate policy runs the risk of compromising long-term carbon storage, human adaptation and efforts to preserve biodiversity. An emphasis on diverse, intact natural ecosystems — as opposed to fast-growing tree plantations — will help nations to deliver Paris Agreement goals and much more.

Other publications

How can we monitor soil health for NbS?

How can we monitor soil health for NbS?

Soil health is critical for the success of nature-based solutions (NbS), underpinning ecosystem multifunctionality and resilience by supporting biodiversity, improving carbon sequestration and storage, regulating water flow, and enhancing plant productivity. Yet many projects fail to monitor soil health. New research by NbSI and the University of Aberdeen proposes an integrated approach for monitoring soil heath in NbS, introducing a tool for selecting suitable biodiversity and soil metrics based on context and scale.

December 10, 2024
The imperative of aligning policy on climate and biodiversity

The imperative of aligning policy on climate and biodiversity

In a new article published yesterday in The Conversation, NbSI’s Nathalie Seddon and Audrey Wagner explain why aligning climate and biodiversity policy is essential. The message is clear: healthy ecosystems are crucial for climate resilience and a stable climate is essential to protecting biodiversity. Climate action must not come at the expense of biodiversity or human rights.

November 19, 2024
Do we have enough information to scale up carbon removals sustainably?

Do we have enough information to scale up carbon removals sustainably?

As COP29 of the UNFCCC commences in Azerbaijan, the need for effective and sustainable strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more critical than ever. However, most global scenarios also rely heavily on carbon dioxide removals (CDRs) to keep within the Paris Agreement temperature targets, and many ‘net-zero’ pathways indicated by governments contain a significant amount of CDR. But do we know what the wider effects of these CDR practices will be, or which approaches might be more or less sustainable? A new study assesses the current state of the evidence by reviewing the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) literature on CDR.

November 13, 2024