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