The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is urging governments to put the protection and restoration of forests, oceans and other natural ecosystems at the centre of global climate action.
In a position paper for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, IUCN says countries must integrate biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection into their national climate commitments, adaptation plans and long-term emissions reduction strategies.
The organisation argues that healthy ecosystems are essential to tackling climate change because they absorb and store carbon while helping communities and wildlife withstand the effects of rising temperatures. It cites estimates showing that protecting 30 per cent of land in strategically important locations could safeguard about 500 gigatonnes of carbon stored in vegetation and soils.
IUCN wants governments to incorporate nature-based solutions into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and long-term low-emission development strategies, while ensuring that existing ecosystems are managed in ways that strengthen their resilience to climate change.
It also wants countries to make biodiversity and ecosystem integrity an explicit requirement when designing future climate commitments to prevent interventions intended to reduce emissions from causing further environmental damage.
Beyond protecting terrestrial ecosystems, IUCN highlights the role of oceans in regulating the global climate. It cautions, however, that ocean-based climate interventions must be grounded in scientific evidence and implemented responsibly to avoid damaging marine and coastal ecosystems.
On adaptation, IUCN points to the growing need to protect vulnerable ecosystems and species as global temperatures rise, noting that the effects of climate overshoot could continue to worsen even after temperatures begin to decline.
It also calls for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to be involved in designing and implementing nature-based adaptation measures, recognising the importance of their knowledge and experience in managing natural resources.
IUCN says the funding available for nature-based climate solutions remains inadequate and wants developed countries to increase climate finance for developing nations, including direct support for locally led conservation initiatives. It also calls for greater funding through mechanisms that allow Indigenous Peoples and local communities to access resources directly.
The organisation also wants countries to scale up investment in nature-based solutions to US$571 billion annually by 2030 and US$771 billion by 2050, adding that existing climate finance commitments should be expanded to accommodate the investment required to meet global climate, biodiversity and land restoration targets.
The position paper further warns that climate-related losses and damage will affect not only vulnerable communities but also ecosystems and species that may face irreversible losses as temperatures rise, saying that current contributions to the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage was inadequate and wants governments to increase resources to reflect the scale of the risks.
The organisation is also calling for a clean energy transition that protects biodiversity and ecosystem integrity warning that poorly planned energy projects can create new pressures on ecosystems, economies and communities
IUCN also wants countries to coordinate their climate, biodiversity and land restoration commitments rather than pursue them through separate policy processes. It is backing the proposed establishment of a Rio Synergies Group for Action at COP31 to strengthen cooperation between the three major international environmental agreements covering climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation.
The organisation argues that nature-based solutions provide a practical framework for bringing these commitments together and translating them into action at national and community levels.
