NDC enhancement: opportunities in the forest and land-use sector
Conservation, restoration, and improved management of forests are cost-effective solutions for large-scale reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removal of carbon from the atmosphere and thus help to hold the global temperature increase to well below 2.0°C or 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. In addition to their climate change mitigation potential, forest conservation, restoration, and management also help countries and communities adapt to climate change. For example, forest products provide livelihoods to millions, mangroves protect coastal lands against rising seas and tidal surges, while inland forests moderate temperature fluctuations and stabilize water supply. Forest sector solutions for climate also contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as ending poverty and hunger, ensuring water availability, and reducing disaster risks. However, the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that countries have communicated to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) often do not make full use of the potential of forest solutions or lack the needed specificity, which could result in missing substantial opportunities to reduce GHG emissions in cost-effective ways.
