Effective ways for Canada to leverage Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) are investigated in a Metcalf-funded report authored by Dr. Risa Smith, Chair of IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas Climate Change Specialist Group. The report explores how protecting intact ecosystems with high carbon and biodiversity values can be an effective approach for achieving short-term climate results in Canada.

Five recommendations are highlighted for how best to advance natural climate solutions in Canada:

1. Targeted protection – Targeting protection in carbon dense/high-biodiversity ecosystems including forests, grasslands, peatlands, permafrost, and blue carbon
2. Proforestation with protection – Growing 30% of managed forests currently over 60 years old to ecological maturity and protecting them
3. Lengthened harvest rotation – Increasing the length of time between harvests
4. Restoration examples – Planting two billion trees and investing in coastal restoration
5. Resources – Highlighting the need to invest in Natural Climate Solutions