Land-intensive carbon removal requires better siting to protect biodiversity, study warns

Land-intensive carbon removal requires better siting to protect biodiversity, study warns

New research looks at carbon dioxide removal—where carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored—and finds that large-scale reliance on land-based methods, such as planting forests or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), can protect biodiversity by avoiding climate impacts, but could also compete with biodiversity protection unless site selection criteria are refined.

Land-intensive carbon removal requires better siting to protect biodiversity

30.01.2026 - A new paper published today looks at carbon dioxide removal – where carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored – and finds that large-scale reliance on land-based methods, such as planting forests or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), can protect biodiversity by avoiding climate impacts, but could also compete with biodiversity protection unless site selection criteria are refined.