Land Use Reforms Urged for Climate Goals

Global Monitoring Guidelines Aim to Boost Transparency

A critical need to reimagine global land utilization is emerging as nations strive to meet climate change mitigation targets and safeguard vital ecosystems. Current land-use practices present both significant risks and substantial opportunities in the fight against global warming.

The Dual Role of Land in Emissions

Agriculture, forestry, and related land activities are substantial contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for approximately a quarter of all human-caused emissions. Simultaneously, natural land processes play a crucial role by absorbing a significant portion of emissions from fossil fuels and industry, nearly a third of the total.

Paris Agreement Targets Depend on Accurate Tracking

The urgency of these land-use issues is reflected in national commitments made under the Paris Agreement, with around 75 percent of signatory countries including land-based targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). However, achieving these ambitious goals hinges on accurate and transparent progress tracking.

Satellite Data Offers Unprecedented Insights

An explosion of global data, including 1.5 terabytes daily from the Sentinel-2 Earth observation satellites, provides detailed insights into land cover changes, vegetation health, and natural disasters. This data holds immense potential for assessing land-use shifts and their impact on greenhouse gas balances.

Bridging the Monitoring Gap

Despite the availability of vast datasets, many countries struggle with the capacity to effectively monitor, interpret, and translate this information into actionable policies. Inconsistent definitions and reporting standards for land use further complicate the assessment of progress toward climate objectives, potentially undermining the effectiveness of climate action.

New Guidelines Promote Transparent Monitoring

To address these challenges, a collaborative initiative led by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), with funding from Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI), has developed a comprehensive set of guidelines for transparent monitoring in the land-use sector. These guidelines aim to empower countries, communities, and organizations in establishing robust monitoring systems.

Framework for Transparency in Land Use

The core of the guidelines presents nine pairs of criteria for evaluating transparent monitoring approaches. These criteria cover crucial aspects such as clarity, accuracy, consistency, comparability, complementarity, reproducibility, accessibility, participation, and accountability, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement.

Global Case Studies Inform Best Practices

The accompanying guidebook features case studies from Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, and Peru. These examples highlight practical applications, from calculating emission factors for agricultural expansion to mapping deforestation drivers using remote sensing and integrating community-based monitoring for forest restoration.

A recent report by Global Forest Watch indicated that forest clearing for agriculture expanded by 7% between 2021 and 2022 in tropical regions, underscoring the immediate need for effective monitoring (Global Forest Watch, 2023).

“The case studies show that transparent monitoring approaches are not merely a technical requirement, but a powerful enabler of meaningful climate action,”

—Co-authors of the report

The authors believe that by addressing existing challenges and building on successful examples, nations can develop monitoring systems capable of driving significant change. They emphasize that sustained commitment, collaboration, and innovation are key to achieving more effective land-sector policies, enhancing resilience, and mitigating climate change.

Acknowledgements

The Transparent Monitoring in Practice project is a collaborative effort involving CIFOR-ICRAF, Öko-Institut e.V., the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the National Wildlife Federation, and Wageningen University and Research. Funding is provided by Germany’s International Climate Initiative (IKI).