Research from Conservation International (CI), published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change, finds that some land areas, if destroyed or degraded, would release so much carbon that they must be protected if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.

The study compiles data across terrestrial, coastal, and freshwater ecosystems globally, and looks at the magnitude, manageability, and recoverability of their carbon stores as key criteria for prioritising their protection.

The results are being used for the development of an “irrevocable carbon” map to promote climate and conservation actions. The findings also serve to emphasise the importance of channelling finance into conservation, which will not only slow global warming but help move the global community closer to meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as the 2020 Biodiversity targets being negotiated this year.

Read the full research and learn more about irrevocable carbon hotspots here. 

[image credit: Conservation International]