Countries rely too much on land-based carbon capture measures, not enough on reducing emissions.
Source: The Land Gap: Land Lacking to Fulfill Climate Pledges
A new study released by Melbourne Climate Futures brings together the findings of more than 20 researchers from around the world. It has revealed that climate pledges around the world are heavily reliant on land for tree planting. If all the national carbon plans are brought to fruition, this would require an area of land larger than the size of the United States, or nearly quadruple the size of India—1.2 billion hectares in all.1
The researchers found that only 551 million hectares accounted for in national pledges would restore primary lands and degraded ecosystems, while 633 hectares would be used for carbon capture strategies like planting trees.1
This raises concerns over land use, since land is required for food production and the protection of nature. It also raises concerns that land changes will encroach on the lands of Indigenous people, as well as on lands used by local communities and small-scale farmers for food security.
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