UNGA76 Science Summit

Nature based solutions: the mythbuster session.

The overwhelming evidence that climate change requires drastic action and that the decarbonisation of transport, industry, energy systems, construction and the rest of our economy, is unlikely to proceed at a pace sufficient to avoid serious catastrophe has led many to focus on nature-based solutions - sometimes as a stopgap while the rest of the economy is decarbonised, sometimes as a major contributor to solving the problem, as with BECCS, BioEnergy with Carbon Capture and Storage.

However, much of the resulting discussion fails to take into account the complex interactions between the biosphere, the atmosphere, the lithosphere, the cryopsphere, the oceans and more.

The good news is that properly implemented nature-based solutions, especially those affecting agriculture and forestry, could draw down a large part of the excess carbon in the atmosphere. But what does "properly implemented" mean? Is the solution really as simple as avoiding beef and planting trees? In this session, we'll explore some tenacious myths about nature-based solutions involving agriculture, forestry and livestock rearing, and discuss what the science tells us.

Are massive tree planting campaigns really the right way of getting the climate and other benefits of forestry?

Is moving to a vegan diet really the best way of diminishing the emissions of agriculture?

Is helping smallholders adopt agroecology really the best way of enhancing the efficiency of agriculture?

What are the most promising ways of protecting and boosting biodiversity in agricultural and forestry landscapes?

What role do forests play in the global water cycle? What does this imply for forestry?

How should the planet assuage its growing hunger for timber and fibre?

In short, what are the most promising kinds of nature based solutions, and how should they be harnessed?

Our speakers will explore the state of the science on these questions, and help us coalesce around some basic rules to guide investors and policymakers as they seek to navigate this extraordinarily complex space.