Take action on climate by addressing your land use emissions

More than 20% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from the land sector, which includes agriculture and forestry. Of that, around half is caused by deforestation and ecosystem conversion, where CO2 is emitted when clearing trees or other vegetation through logging or burning, or from soil when establishing new cropland. 

It’s clear that the land sector has an important role to play in reducing GHG emissions and mitigating climate change. For companies that produce or source agricultural or forestry commodities, such as cattle products, coffee, palm oil, soy, and timber products, eliminating deforestation and conversion is the single most impactful thing they can do to reduce their emissions. 

With growing recognition of the importance of addressing land use change in meeting climate targets, there’s increasing pressure on companies to reduce their impacts on land systems. This is seen in legislation such as the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR), and the demands of consumers, investors, and NGOs.  

Set emissions reduction targets that include land use change 

The very first thing a company wanting to reduce its emissions can do is to set ambitious targets that specifically include the elimination of land use change from its operations and supply chain. Companies can use the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance to set clear, science-based targets to limit global warming to no more than 1.5°C. The guidance offers a standardised way for companies to understand how much and how fast they need to cut their land-related emissions.  

Furthermore, SBTi FLAG requires that emissions-reduction targets include a commitment to no-deforestation in key commodity supply chains. This commitment is important because, to meet climate targets, companies must have robust policies to guide their handling of deforestation and conversion within their supply chains. These policies should cover all commodities and all geographies, include time-bound and quantifiable commitments, and specify cutoff dates. See what else should be included in responsible supply chain policies here.  

Learn more about your supply chain 

To effectively meet their emissions targets, companies need to acquire a deep level of knowledge about their supply chains. This might require them to map their supplier networks, improve traceability of products and materials, or implement monitoring systems using appropriate tools for the sector or geography. 

To support companies in these efforts, the Accountability Framework offers guidance on how to better understand supply chains, monitor land use, and reduce impacts. In particular, companies should consult the AFi’s Operational Guidance on Supply Chain Management or Monitoring and Verification for land impact reduction guidance.  

Once companies have begun to map and monitor their supply chains, they can use the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance for methodological support as they look to calculate the emissions in their supply chains. 

To improve clarity and consistency for companies, the AFi has worked with SBTi and the GHG Protocol to align their methodologies related to deforestation, conversion, and land use change emissions. Joint guidance from these organisations provides additional information about these issues.