2026/03/07 by Cameryn Brock, Patrick R. Roehrdanz, Tim Beringer +17 · 1 voice · 4 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Agricultural land #Agroforestry and silvopastoral systems #Biodiversity #Climate change #Climate change mitigation #Greenhouse gas #Land Use and Ecosystem Services #Land management #Land use #Land use, land-use change and forestry #Photovoltaic Systems and Sustainability #Renewable energy
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-026-69952-6
published in Nature Communications 17(1) (Nature Portfolio)
openalex publication_date 2026/03/07 · openalex created_date 2026/03/08 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Abstract Growing demand for food coupled with climate commitments to reduce emissions will result in more land development for agriculture and renewable energy. Simultaneously, conserving land for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people (NCP) is imperative for achieving international climate, sustainable development, and biodiversity goals. Meeting these interconnected objectives requires efficient land allocation across sectors. Here, we present a flexible, multiple-objective framework for strategically allocating land to mitigate threats to biodiversity and NCP under climate change while supporting development. Application of this framework at a global scale through country-level targets shows that if future development is planned without consideration of nature, demands for land could impact nearly 1 million km 2 of high-priority conservation areas. Multi-sector planning can mitigate potential conflict, reducing carbon loss and species exposure. Our findings underscore the need to conserve critical areas for nature, reduce land demand for food and energy, and intentionally coordinate land use across sectors.