Natural climate solutions for Canada
Natural climate solutions (NCS) could help Canada meet climate goals, offering up to 78.2 Tg CO₂e/year by 2030. Key strategies include protecting grasslands, peatlands, cover crops, and forests. With 34% of mitigation achievable at ≤CAD 50/Mg CO₂e, NCS also deliver co-benefits like clean air and biodiversity.
Subject Tags
- Natural climate solutions
- Agriculture
- Climate mitigation
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 CO2e/year (95% CI) of mitigation annually in 2030 and 394.4 (173.2 to 612.4) Tg CO2e cumulatively between 2021 and 2030, with 34% available at ≤CAD 50/Mg CO2e. 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.
Citation
Drever, C.R., Cook-Patton, S.C., Akhter, F., Badiou, P.H., Chmura, G.L., Davidson, S.J., Desjardins, R.L., Dyk, A., Fargione, J.E., Fellows, M. and Filewod, B., 2021. Natural climate solutions for Canada. Science advances, 7(23), p.eabd6034.
Media Contacts
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Ronnie Drever
Senior Conservation Scientist
The Nature Conservancy
Email: cdrever@tnc.org -
Susan Cook-Patton
Lead Reforestation Scientist
The Nature Conservancy
Email: susan.cook-patton@tnc.org -
Joe Fargione
Director of Science, North America
The Nature Conservancy
Email: jfargione@tnc.org