Generic article

Better data

The land sector is key in global mitigation strategies as it accounts for about a quarter of the net anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. However, data on land activity emissions hold large uncertainties.

With colleagues, Wageningen University & Research scientists developed a spatially detailed benchmark for monitoring progress in the tropics and subtropics on reducing land-use emissions. It also includes hotspots of land-use emissions to help policymakers and decision-makers prioritize mitigation actions. Particularly important areas are evergreen rainforest deforestation in Central and South America, fire in dry forests in Africa, and mixed sectorial emissions in with peat fire, deforestation, livestock and agriculture as key contributors.