Natural climate solutions for Canada

Authors

C. Ronnie Drever, Nature United
Susan C. Cook-Patton, Nature Conservancy
Fardausi Akhter, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Pascal H. Badiou, Ducks Unlimited Canada
Gail L. Chmura, Université McGill
Scott J. Davidson, University of Waterloo
Raymond L. Desjardins, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Andrew Dyk, Canadian Forest Service
Joseph E. Fargione, Nature Conservancy
Max Fellows, Canadian Forest Service
Ben Filewod, University of Toronto
Margot Hessing-Lewis, Hakai Institute
Susantha Jayasundara, University of Guelph
William S. Keeton, University of Vermont
Timm Kroeger, Nature Conservancy
Tyler J. Lark, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Edward Le, Canadian Forest Service
Sara M. Leavitt, Nature Conservancy
Marie Eve LeClerc, Canadian Forest Service
Tony C. Lemprière, Canadian Forest Service
Juha Metsaranta, Canadian Forest Service
Brian McConkey, Viresco Solutions
Eric Neilson, Canadian Forest Service
Guillaume Peterson St-Laurent, The University of British Columbia
Danijela Puric-Mladenovic, University of Toronto
Sebastien Rodrigue, Canadian Forest Service
Raju Y. Soolanayakanahally, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Seth A. Spawn, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Maria Strack, University of Waterloo
Carolyn Smyth, Canadian Forest Service
Naresh Thevathasan, University of Guelph
Mihai Voicu, Canadian Forest Service
Christopher A. Williams, Clark UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Alongside the steep reductions needed in fossil fuel emissions, natural climate solutions (NCS) represent readily deployable options that can contribute to Canada's goals for emission reductions. We estimate the mitigation potential of 24 NCS related to the protection, management, and restoration of natural systems that can also deliver numerous co-benefits, such as enhanced soil productivity, clean air and water, and biodiversity conservation. NCS can provide up to 78.2 (41.0 to 115.1) Tg CO2e/year (95% CI) of mitigation annually in 2030 and 394.4 (173.2 to 612.4) Tg CO2e cumulatively between 2021 and 2030, with 34% available at ≤CAD 50/Mg CO2e. Avoided conversion of grassland, avoided peatland disturbance, cover crops, and improved forest management offer the largest mitigation opportunities. The mitigation identified here represents an important potential contribution to the Paris Agreement, such that NCS combined with existing mitigation plans could help Canada to meet or exceed its climate goals.

Supporting data is also available as supplementary download.

Publication Title

Science Advances

Publication Date

2021

Volume

7

Issue

23

ISSN

2375-2548

DOI

10.1126/sciadv.abd6034

Keywords

biodiversity, emission control, soil conservation

Repository Citation

Drever, C. Ronnie; Cook-Patton, Susan C.; Akhter, Fardausi; Badiou, Pascal H.; Chmura, Gail L.; Davidson, Scott J.; Desjardins, Raymond L.; Dyk, Andrew; Fargione, Joseph E.; Fellows, Max; Filewod, Ben; Hessing-Lewis, Margot; Jayasundara, Susantha; Keeton, William S.; Kroeger, Timm; Lark, Tyler J.; Le, Edward; Leavitt, Sara M.; LeClerc, Marie Eve; Lemprière, Tony C.; Metsaranta, Juha; McConkey, Brian; Neilson, Eric; St-Laurent, Guillaume Peterson; Puric-Mladenovic, Danijela; Rodrigue, Sebastien; Soolanayakanahally, Raju Y.; Spawn, Seth A.; Strack, Maria; Smyth, Carolyn; Thevathasan, Naresh; Voicu, Mihai; and Williams, Christopher A., "Natural climate solutions for Canada" (2021). Geography. 864.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_geography/864

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.