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This post was authored by Santiago Garcia, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Partnerships Manager for Natural Climate Solutions at Environmental Defense Fund. This week, representatives of 190 nations, including 90 heads of state, began gathering at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss and negotiate solutions for our warming planet. As important as these movers …

Three new reports examine the potential of blue carbon pathways to act as natural climate solutions. By Kristin Kleisner, Monica Moritsch and Jamie Collins To address the climate crisis we need to explore every avenue possible, investigate innovative solutions, and even look to the oceans for answers. The oceans already serve the planet as a …

Three new reports based on work supported by the Bezos Earth Fund were released today by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), highlighting the potential of different blue carbon interventions to help in the fight against climate change and act as natural climate solutions (NCS), some of which may be marketable with further research and economic and policy action.

Natural climate solutions, such as reforestation and wetland restoration, can help slow climate change and increase resilience in the face of climate impacts we can’t avoid. These approaches have substantial and growing support from bipartisan lawmakers, the private sector and environmental nonprofits. However, big questions remain: Where are these strategies most effective? To what extent can they meaningfully remove and reduce greenhouse gases? How will increased drought, fire and pest outbreaks impact their ability to stave off climate change? The post New report provides a science roadmap for natural climate solutions first appeared on Growing Returns.

Fat Bear Week is an annual celebration of the biggest brown bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska, but climate change threatens these fat bears and the forest they live in.

Farms, ranches and forests can get the U.S. 17% of the way toward the national goal to cut emissions in half by 2030.

USDA awarded $2.8 billion for pilot projects that develop and expand markets for crops and livestock farmed in ways that reduce emissions or sequester carbon.

Once thought of as the ultimate carbon sink, peat bogs in warming, drying regions risk unleashing carbon into the atmosphere.

This post was authored by EDF policy experts. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin on July 27 announced the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 — an agreement that will improve Americans’ lives by fighting inflation, lowering healthcare costs, and making significant down payments on energy security and climate progress. If passed by …

Two new EDF studies suggest that tropical forest jurisdictions that engage in emissions trading for conserving their forests at large scales could generate significant revenues, and promote more ambitious, but attainable, climate goals.

Scientists agree that agricultural soils can be part of the climate solution, but their estimates about how much soils could slow warming vary widely. The post Scientists agree: Soil health matters but climate mitigation potential still uncertain first appeared on Growing Returns.

First-ever study supported by EDF will quantify the potential impact of the voluntary carbon market on tropical forest countries signals high private sector demand.

Climate scientists are studying “blue carbon” to make the case for stepping up conservation.

Carbon that’s captured and stored by oceans and coastal ecosystems is known as blue carbon. Here's a look at why it's important.

Direct emission reductions from natural and agricultural systems coupled with equity and efficiency can address multiple sustainability goals. The post New research shows how to improve the voluntary carbon market to accelerate investment in nature first appeared on Growing Returns.

By Douglas Rader, Jamie Collins and Edith Widder, CEO & Senior Scientist, Ocean Research & Conservation Association People of a certain age will recall being mesmerized—perhaps terrified!—by a television series called “The Twilight Zone,” which ran 156 episodes from 1959 to 1964. The show, which focused on people’s experiences at the edge of reality, is …

As we close out American Wetlands Month, here are six reasons why one of nature's richest ecosystems provide value to our lives every month of the year. The post Six reasons why wetlands are vital every month of the year. first appeared on Growing Returns.

With contributions from Julia Paltseva, senior analyst, Britta Dosch, analyst, and Christine Gerbode, senior research analyst, all at Environmental Defense Fund.  Earth’s forests, oceans, wetlands and other natural landscapes have the power to pull carbon out of the atmosphere and to store it – making well-managed ecosystems key resources in the fight to halt climate …

Voluntary carbon markets are booming as companies look to finance emissions reductions or removals as part of their net zero strategy. In 2021, the market hit a new milestone by crossing $1 billion in transactions.

Eight major environmental and Indigenous Peoples organizations today released the Tropical Forest Credit Integrity (TFCI) Guide, principles for companies to follow when investing in tropical forest carbon credits to fight climate change.

The voluntary carbon market is booming. But do companies know what to look out for? A new guide from leading environmental NGOs including EDF aims to help businesses check if a carbon offset is actually saving rainforests.

Traditional burials exact a heavy toll on the environment, but in the United States a growing number of people are opting for a last resting place that harmonizes with, and even benefits, nature.

Companies are designing strategies that will drive immediate and meaningful progress on their climate and net zero commitments. The pressure points – from investors, employees and customers – on companies to take accountability for their climate impacts is mounting, putting business leaders under pressure to find immediate ways to slash their emissions.   Many are turning …

By: Kristin M. Kleisner and Jamie Collins As we embark this year on the United Nations Ocean Decade, you may be hearing quite a bit about blue carbon. But what is it, and why is it so important for the future of our planet?  Well, the oceans play a critical role in trapping carbon, and they …

A major international study shows that tropical forests, once destroyed, have the capacity to restore themselves over a period of decades, offering hope that they can play an important role in the fight against climate change.