Natural climate solutions

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710465114
• Publication Date: 2017-10-31T16:45:57Z
• Authors: Bronson W. Griscom; Justin Adams; Peter W. Ellis; Richard A. Houghton; Guy Lomax; Daniela A. Miteva; William H. Schles...; David Shoch; Juha V. Siikamäki; Pete Smith; Peter Woodbury; Chris Zganjar; Allen Blackman; João Campari; Richard T. Conant; Christopher Delgado; Patricia Elias; Trisha Gopalakrishna; Marisa R. Hamsik; Mario Herrero; Joseph Kiesecker; Emily Landis; Lars Laestadius; Sara M. Leavitt; Susan Minnemeyer; Stephen Polasky; Peter Potapov; Francis E. Putz; Jonathan Sanderman; Marcel Silvius; Eva Wollenberg; Joseph Fargione
• Keywords: forests; 2. Zero hunger; climate mitigation; 330; QH301 Biology; food security; 15. Life on land; 7. Clean energy; 6. Clean water; wetlands; QH301; climate change; 13. Climate action; Physical Sciences; 11. Sustainability; SDG 13 - Climate Action; ecosystems; SDG 2 - Zero Hunger; ecosystem services; SDG 15 - Life on Land; agriculture

Significance Most nations recently agreed to hold global average temperature rise well below 2 °C. We examine how much climate mitigation nature can contribute this goal with a comprehensive analysis of “natural solutions” (NCS): 20 conservation, restoration, and/or improved land management actions that increase carbon storage avoid greenhouse gas emissions across forests, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands. show NCS provide over one-third the cost-effective needed between now 2030 stabilize warming Alongside aggressive fossil fuel reductions, offer powerful set options for deliver on Paris Climate Agreement while improving soil productivity, cleaning our air water, maintaining biodiversity.