Here is what the page “Grasslands, Shrublands, Savannas: Massive Carbon Stocks Ignored by Climate Finance, Resear” contains. A new policy brief in PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET highlights a critical oversight in climate policy: open ecosystems like grasslands, shrublands, and savannas are largely excluded from climate finance and natural climate solutions, despite their vast carbon storage capacity. The researchers argue that these non-forested landscapes can store significant amounts of carbon while also supporting water supply, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services. Yet current policies and funding mechanisms overwhelmingly favor forests, leaving these ecosystems vulnerable to conversion and degradation.
The brief calls for a shift in perspective to recognize the climate mitigation potential of open ecosystems. Without such recognition, the authors warn, we risk losing valuable carbon sinks and the co-benefits they provide. The findings underscore the need for inclusive climate strategies that account for all carbon-rich landscapes, not just forests. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.