To combat climate change, every country on Earth could stop the burning of oil completely. Or they could simply pay attention to the way they manage their land.

In a groundbreaking new study — led by scientists from the U.S.-based The Nature Conservancy, along with 15 other institutions worldwide including Cornell University and the Brazilian government — land stewardship is put front and centre in the fight against climate change.

In what they’ve called the first analysis of its kind, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers quantified the potential impact of 20 land-based actions that could be taken to ease human impacts on the Earth’s environment.

“This really gave us, for the first time, an actual estimate,” Ronnie Drever, a forest ecologist for TNC Canada, the Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, told the Star.

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And that estimate was more substantial than expected. Considering food and fibre security, biodiversity conservation and costliness, the potential impact of land-based solutions was 30 per cent higher than previous estimates.

If implemented, the 20 actions listed in the study could lead to more than a third of the greenhouse gas emission reductions needed to keep global warming under the target of the Paris Climate Agreement by 2030.

Their biggest solution is straightforward: more trees.

Trees are presented as a cost-effective solution, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. The three largest options for increasing the number — and size — of trees worldwide are listed as reforestation, avoidance of forest loss and better forestry practices.

The study indicates that increasing tree counts and size alone could remove seven billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, the same as taking 1.5 billion gasoline-burning cars off the world’s roads.

In Canada, which boasts 28 per cent of the world’s boreal forest area, this option holds particular weight. But, Drever said, taking a global study and applying it in a Canadian context is tricky.

“You need to do that with a lot of caution and really dive deep,” he said. Not every recommendation would be applicable in every individual country.

Addressing land stewardship also comes with a lot of “competing interests,” he said. Even on the side of protective voices, there are multiple stakeholders: environmental groups, Indigenous people and government offices looking to hit environmental protection targets.

Hadley Archer, TNC Canada’s executive director, wrote in an email to the Star that working with Indigenous communities, government, organizations and industry could help lead the fight against climate change and create strong and healthy economies.

Agriculture was also listed a key player in land-based climate solutions, as the study noted agricultural land covers 11 per cent of the globe.

Altering farming tactics, including more thoughtful application of chemical fertilizers, could improve crop yields while reducing harmful nitrous oxide emissions.

Other actions address the preservation of wetlands, which the study says make up significantly lower portions of the Earth than forests and agriculture, but hold the most carbon per acre.

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Peatlands in particular were estimated to hold one-quarter of the carbon stored by the world’s soil, lost particularly to cultivate palm oil.

By 2030, researchers say their proposed protections would be like taking 145 million cars off the road in terms of prevented carbon emissions.

“It’s an important study,” Drever said excitedly. “It’s absolutely important to look at it from a global lens.”

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