In response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee’s consultation on Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change, the Royal Society submitted a response drawing on a number of existing pieces of work, works-in-progress and the specific expertise of fellows. This includes our recent report on Climate Change and Land: the science of working with nature towards Net Zero (PDF), our report on Why efforts to address climate change through nature-based solutions must support both biodiversity and people and our workshop on how UK research can contribute to the UN Decade of Ocean Science, as well as our upcoming report on Multifunctional Landscapes and briefing entitled Climate Change and Biodiversity: interlinkages and policy options.
Land and marine ecosystems play a fundamental role in the world’s climate and efforts to stabilise it. Protecting, restoring and managing the world’s land and marine systems sustainably can contribute to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 as well as adapting to the impacts of climate change. Land-based mitigation could provide up to 20 – 30% of the net emissions reductions needed by 2050 to keep the global average temperature rise to 1.5 – 2°C, but will only be effective if combined with rapid and deep reductions in fossil fuel emissions. Nature-based solutions should play a vital role in the strategy for combating climate change while delivering multiple co-benefits for society.