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Protect, manage and then restore lands for climate mitigation

Author

Listed:
  • Susan C. Cook-Patton

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • C. Ronnie Drever

    (Nature United)

  • Bronson W. Griscom

    (Conservation International)

  • Kelley Hamrick

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Hamilton Hardman

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Timm Kroeger

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Pablo Pacheco

    (World Wildlife Fund)

  • Shyla Raghav

    (Conservation International)

  • Martha Stevenson

    (World Wildlife Fund)

  • Chris Webb

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Samantha Yeo

    (The Nature Conservancy)

  • Peter W. Ellis

    (The Nature Conservancy)

Abstract

Limited time and resources remain to constrain the climate crisis. Natural climate solutions represent promising options to protect, manage and restore natural lands for additional climate mitigation, but they differ in (1) the magnitude and (2) immediacy of mitigation potential, as well as (3) cost-effectiveness and (4) the co-benefits they offer. Counter to an emerging preference for restoration, we use these four criteria to propose a general rule of thumb to protect, manage and then restore lands, but also show how these criteria explain alternative prioritization and portfolio schemes. This hierarchy offers a decision-making framework for public and private sector actors to optimize the effectiveness of natural climate solutions in an environment in which resources are constrained, and time is short.

Suggested Citation

  • Susan C. Cook-Patton & C. Ronnie Drever & Bronson W. Griscom & Kelley Hamrick & Hamilton Hardman & Timm Kroeger & Pablo Pacheco & Shyla Raghav & Martha Stevenson & Chris Webb & Samantha Yeo & Peter W., 2021. "Protect, manage and then restore lands for climate mitigation," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 11(12), pages 1027-1034, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:11:y:2021:i:12:d:10.1038_s41558-021-01198-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01198-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Yee Keong Choy & Ayumi Onuma & Khai Ern Lee, 2025. "The Nexus of Industrial–Urban Sustainability, the Circular Economy, and Climate–Ecosystem Resilience: A Synthesis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-47, March.
    2. United Nations & World Bank, 2022. "Scaling Up Ecosystem Restoration Finance," World Bank Publications - Reports 38311, The World Bank Group.
    3. Shengbin Chen & Xingwei Deng & Lilei Wu & Kunming Zhao & Zengjing Huang & Qi Chen & Xuan Zhang, 2024. "Delineating Priority Areas for Preservation and Restoration across Production–Living–Ecological Spaces in Ganzi, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-20, May.
    4. H. Damon Matthews & Kirsten Zickfeld & Alexander Koch & Amy Luers, 2023. "Accounting for the climate benefit of temporary carbon storage in nature," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Damien Beillouin & Marc Corbeels & Julien Demenois & David Berre & Annie Boyer & Abigail Fallot & Frédéric Feder & Rémi Cardinael, 2023. "A global meta-analysis of soil organic carbon in the Anthropocene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Irene Ascenzi & Jelle P. Hilbers & Marieke M. Katwijk & Mark A. J. Huijbregts & Steef V. Hanssen, 2025. "Increased but not pristine soil organic carbon stocks in restored ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.

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