Global analysis of constraints to natural climate solutions implementation

According to Oxford Academic, NCS hold major climate mitigation potential, yet their implementation is hindered by social, political, economic, and informational barriers. This paper maps 2,480 constraint instances across 10 pathways and 135 countries, finding that reforestation and agroforestry are most impacted. Funding gaps, policy inefficiencies, and equity concerns dominate. The authors call for adaptive, cross-sector strategies to address co-occurring constraints and improve project feasibility.

Restoring confidence in carbon offsets through systemic ex post evaluation

A Nature Sustainability perspective argues that the credibility of carbon offsets is undermined by inflated ex-ante baselines. It proposes that systematic ex-post evaluations, based on observed outcomes, could prevent over-crediting, improve carbon credit accuracy, and restore trust in certification standards in voluntary carbon markets.

Nature-based solutions can help cool the planet — if we act now

In May 2021, Nature published a comment piece by several leading academics specialising in natural climate solutions. They made the case that nature-based solutions can help cool the planet if the world harnesses this potential now while simultaneously drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions. It breaks down natural global temperature cooling into three categories: protecting, managing and restoring and shows the mitigation potential of each. It assesses the potential of nature-based solutions to reduce global heating under a 1.5, 2 and 3-degree trajectory.

Climate justice, forests, and Indigenous Peoples: toward an alternative to REDD + for the Amazon

This article, published in Springer Nature in July 2024, considers how REDD+ currently works for Indigenous Peoples and how it could work better. It argues that in implementing REDD+ on a project level, the burden of conservation and management tends to fall on marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples. The authors present 12 principles that reimagine REDD+ in a justice-oriented way.

Expert review of the science underlying nature-based climate solutions

What do you think of nature-based solutions? If you’re unsure, this academic paper could be for you. Published in Nature Climate Change in March 2024, it assesses the scientific basis of 43 nature-based solutions using an extensive literature review and expert elicitation. It revealed that the most used pathways, such as tropical forest conservation, have a solid scientific basis for mitigation.

Demand for low-quality offsets by major companies undermines climate integrity of the VCM

For this study, the researchers focused on the twenty companies retiring the most offsets from the voluntary carbon market between 2020 and 2023. Published in Nature Communications in August 2024, the study questioned whether their offsets could be considered high quality. NOTE: The ICVCM’s Core Carbon Principles set a framework to assess quality, signalling a move to higher standards across the market. This study concluded that many credits are low quality and that 87% are unlikely to create additional emission reductions.

Science-based targets miss the mark

This peer-reviewed critique of science-based targets highlights specific discussions around removal and carbon credits. Published in Communications Earth & Environment in July 2024, it says that companies condense complex climate science to underpin their net zero targets and argues that ‘a narrow conceptualisation of science to guide and justify targets for individual companies or countries is misleading’. NOTE: Corporates should refer to guidance on target setting.

The Principles of Natural Climate Solutions

This paper was published in January 2024 in Nature Communications. It addresses natural climate solutions and how they will benefit corporates as they assess potential carbon credit projects. It outlines five principles that will help leaders define, implement, and measure effective natural climate solutions. It is highly recommended reading for those buying from and investing in, NCS projects.

The good is never perfect: Why current flaws of VCMs are services, not barriers to climate action

This academic paper, published by Frontiers in Climate, is essential reading for anyone wondering how to address flaws in the voluntary carbon market. Published in October 2022, the authors argue that the challenges facing the carbon market are not only resolvable but that they must be overcome to achieve our global climate goals. It states that voluntary carbon markets can effectively catalyse climate action.