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The land use sector represents almost 25% of total global emissions. These emissions can be reduced. There is also great potential for carbon sequestration through the scaling up, and scaling out, of proven and effective practices. Improved land use and management, such as low-emissions agriculture, agro-forestry and ecosystem conservation and restoration could, under certain circumstances, further reduce the remaining emissions gap by up to 25%. These climate-smart land management practices nearly always come with adaptation co-benefits. Their more efficient use of resources and inputs ensure greater food and water security, and build community resilience while, at the same time, sequestering carbon. In this brief, we identify a key element in the climate change equation often missing in the current discussions. We offer an evidence-based argument that the mitigation potential of the land use sector, realized through land rehabilitation and ecosystem restoration activities, can make a significant and immediate contribution to reducing the emissions gap. The emissions gap is the difference between the level of greenhouse gas emissions, consistent with meeting the 2°C target set by the Cancun climate change conference, and the emissions reductions that governments have committed to in their current policies.
