Contribution of the land sector to a 1.5 °C world

Summary

This Nature Climate Change paper, co-authored by leading climate scientists and land-use modellers, examines the critical role of the land sector in meeting Paris Agreement climate targets. The authors analyse mitigation pathways across agriculture, forestry, and other land uses, integrating modelling and policy perspectives to quantify how land-based interventions—including reduced deforestation, improved cropland management, grassland restoration, and agroforestry—can contribute to limiting warming to 1.5 °C whilst supporting food security and biodiversity. The work suggests that land-sector action is essential but insufficient in isolation and must be coupled with rapid fossil-fuel emission reductions.

UK applicability

The UK, as a signatory to the Paris Agreement and with statutory climate obligations under the Climate Change Act, can draw on this global analysis to inform domestic land-use and agricultural policy. The paper's emphasis on integrated mitigation—combining reduced emissions, carbon sequestration, and sustainable intensification—aligns with UK frameworks for Net Zero and ecosystem restoration, though specific UK land productivity and peat restoration contexts require local adaptation.

Key measures

Greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential (gigatonnes CO₂-equivalent), land-use change mitigation, carbon sequestration capacity, alignment with 1.5 °C climate scenarios

Outcomes reported

The study assessed the potential contribution of the land sector—including agriculture, forestry, and related land uses—to achieving climate change mitigation targets consistent with a 1.5 °C warming limit. It evaluated mitigation pathways, greenhouse gas reduction opportunities, and synergies with sustainable development goals.

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