Natural climate solutions for Canada.
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34088658.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abd6034 and PMC identifier 8177698.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Alongside the steep reductions needed in fossil fuel emissions, natural climate solutions (NCS) represent readily deployable options that can contribute to Canada's goals for emission reductions. We estimate the mitigation potential of 24 NCS related to the protection, management, and restoration of natural systems that can also deliver numerous co-benefits, such as enhanced soil productivity, clean air and water, and biodiversity conservation. NCS can provide up to 78.2 (41.0 to 115.1) Tg CO<sub>2</sub>e/year (95% CI) of mitigation annually in 2030 and 394.4 (173.2 to 612.4) Tg CO<sub>2</sub>e cumulatively between 2021 and 2030, with 34% available at ≤CAD 50/Mg CO<sub>2</sub>e. Avoided conversion of grassland, avoided peatland disturbance, cover crops, and improved forest management offer the largest mitigation opportunities. The mitigation identified here represents an important potential contribution to the Paris Agreement, such that NCS combined with existing mitigation plans could help Canada to meet or exceed its climate goals.