Measuring Climate Change Mitigation Potential

Authors:
Megan Critchley, Nancy Ockendon, George Syder, Juliet Mills, Carina Pohnke, Charlotte Ghali, Caroline Sourzac-Lami , Tom Bradfer-Lawrence, Julie Hammer-Monart, Ashton Berry, Lera Miles and Rob Field

Publication Date:
2022

Abstract/Summary:
UNEP-WCMC and partners have developed a how-to guide to help practitioners quantify the climate change mitigation potential of landscape restoration projects.  These tools are based on guidance and methodologies from the IPCC, and allow users to enter data about their projects to produce rapid assessments of climate mitigation potential. The tools were originally created to assess projects focused on land management, but have been increasingly adopted in conservation. However, they can be challenging to use, making a how-to guide essential to ensure they are understood and applied correctly.  This new guidance allows restoration practitioners to better understand the ethos, tools, and methods available to produce greenhouse gas balance estimates for ecosystem restoration actions. It covers the full assessment process, from selecting an appropriate tool, to collecting data, developing scenarios, and understanding results. The goal is to enable restoration projects to better demonstrate their multiple benefits by quantifying their climate mitigation potential.

Relevance for the Short Term Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration:
This report helps to demonstrate how ecosystem restoration can contribute to national and international targets for climate change mitigation and provides methodology and case studies to help assess the carbon benefits of ecosystem restoration

STAPER categories:
  • A4: Assess the costs/benefits of ecosystem restoration
  • B6: Review, improve or establish targets, policies and strategies for ecosystem restoration
  • B10: Promote and support capacity-building, training, and technology transfer

Resource Type:
Technical Document

Source:
Endangered Landscapes Programme

Link:
https://www.endangeredlandscapes.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Measuring-Climate-Change-Mitigation-Potential.pdf