Balancing land use for conservation, agriculture, and renewable energy
This study presents a flexible, multi objective framework for allocating land to balance conservation, agriculture, and renewable energy under climate change. Global results show that uncoordinated development could threaten nearly one million square kilometers of high priority conservation areas, while integrated planning reduces biodiversity loss, carbon impacts, and species exposure
Subject Tags
- Agriculture
- Biodiversity
- Climate mitigation
Abstract
Growing demand for food coupled with climate commitments to reduce emissions will result in more land development for agriculture and renewable energy. Simultaneously, conserving land for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (NCP) is imperative for achieving international climate, sustainable development, and biodiversity goals. Meeting these interconnected objectives requires efficient land allocation across sectors. Here, we present a flexible, multiple-objective framework for strategically allocating land to mitigate threats to biodiversity and NCP under climate change while supporting development. Application of this framework at a global scale through country-level targets shows that if future development is planned without consideration of nature, demands for land could impact nearly 1 million km2 of high-priority conservation areas. Multi-sector planning can mitigate potential conflict, reducing carbon loss and species exposure. Our findings underscore the need to conserve critical areas for nature, reduce land demand for food and energy, and intentionally coordinate land use across sectors.
Citation
Brock, C., Roehrdanz, P. R., Beringer, T., Chaplin-Kramer, R., Enquist, B. J., Frazier, A. E., ... & Hannah, L. (2026). Balancing land use for conservation, agriculture, and renewable energy. Nature Communications.
TNC Authors
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Christina M. Kennedy
Global Director of Spatial Conservation Science. Global Science
The Nature Conservancy
Email: ckennedy@tnc.org -
James R. Oakleaf
Applied Geoinfomatics Scientist. Protect Oceans, Lands and Waters
The Nature Conservancy
Email: joakleaf@tnc.org -
Joseph Kiesecker
The Nature Conservancy