Land management can contribute to net zero

The voluntary carbon market needs to embrace changes for the land sector Demand for credits on the voluntary carbon market is poised to surge as corporations implement net-zero commitments. Approximately half of all credits issued from 2000 to 2021 on the voluntary carbon market related to land use, mostly from forest projects (fig. S1) ( 1 ). Credits from the land sector pose challenges for accounting and for meeting multiple criteria. We propose three pathways to overcome shortcomings in the carbon market, improve integrity of credits, and promote long-lasting change to achieve nontrivial climate mitigation and co-benefits from the land sector: (i) target major sources of land-based emissions by increasing activities that reduce or avoid non-CO 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; (ii) promote longevity of low-GHG land management by ensuring that locally relevant co-benefits accrue to local land users; and (iii) encourage region-wide over individual project-based activities to promote systemic change, provide equitable access to benefits, enable realistic accounting, and scale opportunities for emissions reductions.