Better land stewardship is needed to achieve the Paris Agreement's temperature goal, particularly in the tropics, where greenhouse gas emissions from the destruction of ecosystems are largest, and where the potential for additional land carbon storage is greatest. As countries enhance their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, confusion persists about the potential contribution of better land stewardship to meeting the Agreement's goal to hold global warming below 2°C. We assess cost-effective tropical country-level potential of natural climate solutions (NCS)—protection, improved management and restoration of ecosystems—to deliver climate mitigation linked with sustainable development goals (SDGs). We identify groups of countries with distinctive NCS portfolios, and we explore factors (governance, financial capacity) influencing the feasibility of unlocking national NCS potential. Cost-effective tropical NCS offers globally significant climate mitigation in the coming decades (6.56 Pg CO 2 e yr −1 at less than 100 US$ per Mg CO 2 e). In half of the tropical countries, cost-effective NCS could mitigate over half of national emissions. In more than a quarter of tropical countries, cost-effective NCS potential is greater than national emissions. We identify countries where, with international financing and political will, NCS can cost-effectively deliver the majority of enhanced NDCs while transforming national economies and contributing to SDGs. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions’.

Developed by World Resources Institute and seven other leading environmental organizations, “Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions: Opportunities for Ocean-Based Climate Action” outlines the best ways countries can use ocean-based action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and better adapt to the impacts of climate change. The paper focuses on four ocean-based subsectors that have the greatest potential to curb emissions and deliver significant other benefits: marine conservation (coastal and marine ecosystem restoration and protection), oceanic and coastal fisheries, marine transport, and ocean-based renewable energy.

Ocean-based climate action can play an important role in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are one of the main mechanisms under the Paris Agreement for countries to communicate their national climate strategies. This working paper analyzes how ocean-based climate actions are included in new and updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs) from island and coastal countries and what this means for implementation over the next five years. Based on an analysis of 106 new and updated NDCs, 77 (73 percent) include at least one target, policy, or measure aimed at ocean-based climate actions.

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