Amount of carbon sequestered and/or emissions avoided (tCO2e) by 2043

View how we measure impact across our projects

At least 5.5 million tonnes of CO2e mitigated by 2043.

This KPI provides an estimate of the amount of carbon that could be sequestered and/or emissions avoided (tCO2e) due to project actions by 2043.

Analysis by the RSPB and UNEP-WCMC using the FAO Ex-Act tool shows that the restoration of ecosystems and natural processes on over 722,500 ha of land within ten Endangered Landscapes & Seacapes Programme-funded restoration projects (total landscape area 4,432,000 ha) could remove an additional 5,474,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the next 20 years compared to baseline scenarios.

How this performance indicator is measured

Analysis used the FAO Ex-Act tool on ten Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme-funded restoration projects (total landscape area 4,432,000 ha).

Why this is important

Climate change is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss. In addition to restoring nature, a landscape or seascape restoration approach has the potential to address climate change through the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions (by either sequestering increased amounts of carbon in restored ecosystems, or by avoiding the release of carbon into the atmosphere caused by ecosystem degradation) and an increase in ecosystem resilience. The information collected could be used to inform national greenhouse gas inventories of land use and land use change.

Policy relevance

Among the Global Biodiversity Framework’s key elements are four goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030. Target 8 is to minimise the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity and increase its resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions including through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem approaches while minimising negative and fostering positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity.

The European Union through the European Green Deal is committed to becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050 with a pledge to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. Key areas for action include the restoration of nature as it plays an important role in carbon storage and sequestration as well as building resilience to mitigate the impacts of floods, droughts and heatwaves. This includes the first ever Nature Restoration Law and expanding the existing Natura 2000 network of protected land and sea areas. The European Union target for net carbon removals by natural sinks is 310 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents by 2030 so Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme supported projects are making an important contribution to this total.

Project examples

The RSPB and UNEP-WCMC only assessed planned and/or known project interventions against the baseline so potentially the total net emissions reduction of the landscapes could be higher than the values given below.

Polesia

Polesia encompasses the lowland areas surrounding the Pripyat River which flows through Ukraine and Belarus. The drained peatlands are currently a major net source of emissions so their rewetting should lead to a reduction of -2,895,015 tCO2-e over the next 20 years compared to the baseline scenario.

Cairngorms

Cairngorms Connect is located in the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland. The total net emissions reduction of around -502,078 tCO2-e should be achieved mainly through native woodland regeneration and the restructuring of plantations and the rewetting of degraded peatlands.

Carpathia

The Carpathia restoration landscape is located in the Făgăraș Mountains within the Southern Carpathians. The total net emissions reduction of around -236,207 tCO2-e should be achieved by the planting of 1,262 hectares of native forest on previously clear-cut areas.