Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 4 — Narrative / commentaryPeer-reviewed

Land‐based measures to mitigate climate change: Potential and feasibility by country

Stephanie Roe, Charlotte Streck, Robert Beach, Jonah Busch, Melissa Chapman, Vassilis Daioglou, Андре Депперманн, Jonathan Doelman, Jeremy Emmet‐Booth, Jens Engelmann, Oliver Fricko, Chad Frischmann, Jason Funk, Giacomo Grassi, Bronson W. Griscom, Peter Havlík, Steef V. Hanssen, Florian Humpenöder, David M. Landholm, Guy Lomax, Johannes Lehmann, Leah Mesnildrey, G.J. Nabuurs, Alexander Popp, Charlotte Rivard, Jonathan Sanderman, Brent Sohngen, Pete Smith, Elke Stehfest, Dominic Woolf, Deborah Lawrence

Global Change Biology · 2021

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Summary

This comprehensive analysis synthesises land-based climate mitigation potentials for 20 measures across over 200 countries and five regions, comparing bottom-up sectoral estimates with integrated assessment models. Cost-effective mitigation (up to $100/tCO₂ eq) is estimated at 8–13.8 GtCO₂ eq yr⁻¹ by 2050, with approximately 50% from forests and ecosystems, 35% from agriculture, and 15% from demand-side measures. The study emphasises that 80% of potential lies in developing countries and least-developed countries where feasibility barriers—governance, investment, and socio-cultural factors—present significant challenges to realisation.

UK applicability

The United Kingdom is likely among higher-income countries with established governance and investment capacity, potentially better positioned to overcome feasibility barriers. UK-relevant opportunities may include demand-side measures, forest protection, and agricultural practices, though the study's global scope means country-specific UK potential and sectoral focus would require disaggregated analysis of the dataset.

Key measures

Cost-effective mitigation potential (GtCO₂ eq yr⁻¹) by measure and country; technical potential; cost per tCO₂ eq; mitigation efficiency; co-benefits; feasibility barriers (governance, economic investment, socio-cultural conditions)

Outcomes reported

The study quantified cost-effective land-based climate mitigation potential at 8–13.8 GtCO₂ eq yr⁻¹ between 2020 and 2050 across 20 measures in over 200 countries, and assessed implementation feasibility at country level. It compared bottom-up sectoral estimates with integrated assessment models and identified that protection of forests and demand-side measures offer particularly high mitigation efficiency and co-benefits.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Climate & greenhouse gas mitigation
Study type
Policy
Study design
Policy report
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Mixed farming
DOI
10.1111/gcb.15873
Catalogue ID
BFmor3g9dg-q3gbrc

Topic tags

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