Nature’s based solutions for Net-Zero

Subject – Environment

Context – world has jumped on the net-zero bandwagon

Concept –

In climate change negotiations, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) and its addition on conservation of forests stocks (REDD+) was originally the framework to implement nature-based solutions.
At the 2013 UN climate change conference (COP19), the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ was adopted.
In 2015, Paris Agreement recognised this and included it in Article 5; parties reiterated their commitment to implement REDD+.
Now with net zero, the call to use forests as “sinks” is growing.
In May 2021, the Group of Seven countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US) pledged the goal of “conserving or protecting at least 30 per cent of global land and at least 30 per cent of the global ocean by 2030”.
World Economic Forum published in collaboration with McKinsey and Company a report, “Nature and Net Zero”.
- According to this, nature-based solutions provide a “potential of [removing] close to 7 GtCO2 per year, sufficient to deliver around one-third of the 2050 target [to cut emissions by 50 per cent over 2010 levels]” and this cost is lower than technological solutions.
- The bulk of this will come from “avoided emissions, deforestation, peatland restoration, reforestation and cover crops”.
Currently, land—forests, grasslands and other biomes—absorb about 30 per cent of CO2 emissions from human activity.