As of September 2019, 184 countries have submitted their first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and one country (Marshall Islands) has submitted their second NDC. Based on existing commitments, the full implementation of unconditional NDC targets is consistent with staying below a 3.2ºC temperature increase by 2100. To meet the target, a range of opportunities exists for increasing the coverage and stringency of greenhouse gasses (GHG) emission reduction targets, policies, and actions. According to the IPCC Special Report (2019), an estimated 23 percent of total net anthropogenic GHG emissions (2007-2016) derive from Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU). About 25 percent of emission reductions in current NDCs come from the land use sector, primarily forests.
Therefore, scaling-up “Nature-Based Solutions” (NBS) – the protection, restoration, and sustainable use of forests, grasslands, and wetlands – within the AFOLU sector, is critical, as it provides a cost-effective opportunity for countries to enhance their NDC ambition. NBS alone can deliver approximately a third of the cost-effective CO2 mitigation needed through 2030 while supporting more productive and resilient communities with social, economic, and environmental returns.
The objective of this report is to assist governments to identify potential Nature-Based Solutions with the aim of enhancing their climate mitigation and adaptation action in a cost-effective manner and with multiple co-benefits. This report may also be particularly helpful to assist countries in their efforts to strengthen the robustness of their existing NDC in cases where they may have limited data and resources to prepare for the implementation of their NDC strategies or action plans. The report provides seven steps or stages of specific actions for governments to consider, with a concise summary.