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Perspectives

Natural Climate Solutions

Embracing Nature, Empowering the Planet

a close up of leaves on a tree, back-lit by the sun.
Oak Leaves Oak leaves in the sunshine at Milford Neck Preserve © John Hinkson/TNC

Combined with cutting fossil fuels and accelerating renewable energy, natural climate solutions offer immediate and cost-effective ways to tackle the climate crisis—while also addressing biodiversity loss and supporting human health and livelihoods.

What are Natural Climate Solutions?

The Tillinghast pond surrounded by a forest
© Ayla Fox

Natural climate solutions

are actions to protect, better manage and restore nature to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon.

View of wetlands at South Cape May
© Copyright (c) 2018 Jon Bilous/Shutterstock. No use without permission.

Natural climate solutions include practices like

improving forest management to help forest owners increase the carbon stored in their trees; reducing fertilizer use for fewer greenhouse gas emissions; restoring coastal wetlands to sequester carbon in submerged soil.

Science shows that—combined with cutting fossil-fuel use and accelerating renewable energy—natural climate solutions can help us avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

What is the science behind natural climate solutions?

In 2017, The Nature Conservancy led a landmark study that showed how natural climate solutions to protect, better manage, and restore forests, grasslands and wetlands could contribute up to a third of the emissions reductions we need to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The authors developed a framework to distill the evidence into natural climate solutions pathways that demonstrate the full climate potential of nature.

A dense green forest
Saving Belize's Maya Forest Peccary Hills National Park is one of many protected areas that encompass nearly 40% of Belize. © Lucas Bustamante

Globally, natural climate solutions could deliver up to a third of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Explore NCS Research

Our groundbreaking study found that natural climate solutions can provide up to one-third of the mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global temperatures livable.

Since then, TNC scientists and partners have continued investigating how, when and where to invest in natural climate solutions to deliver on the world's most urgent climate goals. Our experts have published more than 50 studies that demonstrate the power of natural climate solutions in the United States, Canada, Indonesia and around the world.

Graphic showing the different pathways to protect, manage and restore lands that add up to 11 gigatons of reduced emissions.
Protect, Manage, Restore Every action—or “pathway”—evaluated in the study involved protecting, better managing or restoring nature.

Climate 101

Explaining Natural Climate Solutions

WHAT ARE NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS? (3:01) In this video, it's the future, and we look back on how we saved the world with nature. In the 2020s, we learned that nature could pull 11 billion metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere.

See the Science Studies

  • Natural Climate Solutions (Griscom et al.)

    PNAS | Oct 15, 2017

    Groundbreaking research by TNC and 15 other institutions, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read key takeaways from the study

  • More NCS Research

    Explore our Natural Climate Solutions Resource Center to see the latest science, research and case studies demonstrating how nature can help increase carbon storage and avoid greenhouse gas emissions around the world. See a list of studies about NCS

What are the other benefits of natural climate solutions?

View from below of a monkey in a tree.

Supporting biodiversity

Nature provides sources of food and shelter for mammals, birds, and insects. It also creates ecosystem connectivity, or wildlife corridors—stretches of habitat that allow species to move around safely.

See this example from Belize
Aerial view of a community on the water's edge.

Making communities more resilient

Natural disasters are getting worse but natural climate solutions can help ease the danger. For example, coral reefs will reduce the impacts of damaging storm surges, protecting infrastructure and people.

Making stronger coastlines
The sun behind a cloud reflected over water.

Promoting clean air and water

It protects the air we breathe and the water we (and other species) need to survive. For example, healthy peatlands and wetlands can remove aquatic nutrients, sediments and pollutant metals from the water.

See this example from Africa
Close up of hands holding seed pods.

Helping economies thrive

Actions like improved forest management and regenerative farming practices can create new jobs, supporting rural economies and local communities while also protecting nature.

See Brazil's plan

What do natural climate solutions look like in practice?

A sunset over a green forest
© Cameron Davidson

Protection

Conserving ecosystems in a healthy state instead of converting them for other intensive uses like development avoids the release of greenhouse gasses.

People measuring a cut-down tree
© Peter Ellis/TNC

Better Management

Improving how forests are managed or expanding cover crops to keep soil healthy can significantly increase the amount of carbon sequestered by forests and fields. These actions may also reduce operating costs or provide more jobs.

Mangroves
© Sarah Waiswa

Restoration

Planting trees in cities, replanting formerly forested land or bringing back natural flows to coastal wetlands and peatlands will increase carbon capture. These actions can also support construction, engineering and conservation jobs.

Explore in our map examples of our Natural Climate Solutions work

Avoided Grassland Conversion
Protection
In western Minnesota, protecting their land and managing it with grass-fed, Angus cattle keeps the prairie in good shape and a ranching operation financially stable.
Meet the farmers
Improved Forest Management
Better Management
The Family Forest Carbon Program opens up a pathway for small forest owners to improve forest health and help climate change while earning an income to cover costs.
Meet a forest owner
Urban Reforestation
Restoration
The Boise National Forest has one of the largest sustained reforestation programs in the U.S. Restoration-style planting focuses on planting long-lived tree species.
See the impact
No-burn Agriculture
Better management
TNC is working with partners including the Borlaug Institute for South Asia to eliminate the practice of burning crop residue in northwest India.
How it's catching on
Emerald Edge
Protection
To optimize the region’s carbon mitigation potential and ensure a sustainable future for local communities, TNC is working closely with key government and Indigenous partners.
See a 360 video
cows
Sustainable Dairy
Better management
TNC teamed up with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and other partners to identify, research, and implement regenerative practices that benefit dairy farmers and nature.
See the impact
Blue Carbon in Virginia Coast Reserve
Restoration
Since 2008, TNC and partners have broadcast more than 72 million seeds into 600 acres to help accelerate the natural spread of eelgrass, which now covers more than 9,500 acres.
What happens next
Agroforestry
Better management
TNC and partners are launching a 5-year project to catalyze agroforestry across 29 states, which will boost farmers’ incomes, carbon sequestration, soil health and water quality.
Sign up your farm
Soil Health
Better management
TNC and partners, including two Natural Resources Districts in the region, will collaborate with farmers in central Nebraska in the adoption of soil health practices.
Why soil matters
Mangrove Restoration
Restoration
We support and strengthen the capacity of Lamu communities to protect, manage, and restore priority mangrove habitat and deepen connections with Community Forest Associations.
See the impact
Restoring the Rainforest with Cocoa Trees
Restoration
To help restore the Amazon while providing better livelihoods, TNC has pioneered an initiative to work with farmers to plant sustainable agro-forests of cocoa in Brazil
Hear from farmers
Reduced-Impact Logging for Climate (RIL-C)
Better management
The Congo Basin is the world’s largest carbon sink, and lower-impact forestry methods used here can have a significant impact on global climate outcomes.
See the impact
Environment-Friendly Shrimp Farming
Better management
YKAN, TNC's Indonesian affiliate, is supporting environment-friendly shrimp farming in mangrove ecosystems through the Shrimp-Carbon Aquaculture (SECURE) approach in East Kaliman.
Read an announcement
Restoring Peat Swamps
Restoration
YKAN, TNC's Indonesian affiliate, is working with provincial governments and communities to protect and measure the restoration of, peat swamp forests in East and North Kalimantan.
See a science brief
Restoring Coastal Wetlands
Restoration
TNC and partners are restoring coastal wetlands in South Australia and building a model of conservation and sustainable financing to protect a million blue carbon hectares.
About blue carbon
Protecting and restoring Peatlands
Protection
Instead of paying for expensive industrial filtration, TNC supports financing upstream landowners to use sustainable farming practices and conserve and restore natural areas.
How it works
Reef Restoration
Restoration
The Nature Conservancy in the Dominican Republic has implemented a Water Funds strategy for the ecosystems that provide the cities of Santiago and Santo Domingo with freshwater.
Watch a video
Conserving Forests
Better management
In Ecuador, TNC is supporting the establishment of agroforestry systems, forest restoration, and mixed forest plantations in Indigenous territories.
See the impact
Sustainable Forestry
Better management
Measuring the climate impact of conservation, sustainable forest management and regenerative ranching and agriculture in Guatemala’s 2.5 million hectare Maya Biosphere Reserve.
Mangrove Protection
Protection
Supporting conservation efforts in Marismas Nacionales, the largest mangrove wetland of the northern pacific coast of Mexico.
Mangrove Protection
Protection
TNC is protecting Papua New Guinea's mangroves through a unique partnership with Mangoro Market Meri (meaning Mangroves, Women, and Markets).
Meet the leaders
Mapping Peatlands
Protection
A TNC project is mapping and estimating the total area of peatland to support protection and conservation of peatlands in the Upper Okavango.
Explore the science
Protecting Peatlands
Protection
We support community-based organizations engaging in conservation in Mongolia’s grasslands and peatlands.
See the impact

Other Tools and Resources

Wind farm turbines
West Virginia wind farm Wind farm turbines situated on a ridge top in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia. © Kent Mason

New Climate Insights

Aerial view of Holmes River, British Columbia.

The Nature of Innovation: The Critical Role of Natural Climate Solutions

We must reduce emissions dramatically this decade to keep global temperatures in safe bounds—and both technology and nature can play a role, says TNC's Director of Global Climate Science.

Aerial photo of forests in the Emerald Edge of British Columbia.

Living Carbon: Stories of Nature’s Climate Solutions

In this series, we showcase innovative carbon projects in Africa, the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, Chile's Valdivian Forest, and the Emerald Edge of North America's Pacific Coast.

Photo of a person visible from knees down, with hands planting a pine seedling.

Reforestation Hub

The Reforestation Hub identifies up to 148 million acres of total opportunity for reforestation, which could capture up to 535 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.

By Susan Cook-Patton