© WWF-Canada / Casa di Media Productions aerial view of forest

Reducing Carbon

WWF’s plan to Regenerate Canada is fighting climate change, keeping carbon locked in nature.

Continued emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide pose an urgent threat to our planet. But there’s good news: Canada’s abundant forests, wetlands and other habitats are natural carbon stores, capable of trapping and sequestering emissions in the long term.

Nature-based climate solutions protect and restore these ecosystems, acting as powerful weapons in the fight against climate change. But these solutions aren’t enough on their own — we still need to rapidly reduce carbon emissions, including those from fossil fuels.

As part of our plan to Regenerate Canada, WWF-Canada is working with Indigenous Peoples, scientists and community partners to identify and implement nature-based climate solutions. Our goal is to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions by at least 30 million tonnes by 2030.

Read on to learn more about the power of nature-based climate solutions or jump straight into what WWF-Canada is doing across the country to help nature thrive.

How do carbon emissions fuel the climate crisis?

The destruction and degradation of nature (i.e. forests, wetlands, grasslands) is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. For example, when we burn fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas, we produce carbon dioxide as a by-product. A potent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide accumulates in our atmosphere, trapping solar radiation and warming the planet.

Human activities have already caused more than 1^oC of warming since pre-industrial levels. While that might seem like a small number, this warming is occurring far faster than it would without human influence, and it’s not only warming the planet, but destabilizing the climate.

We’re already seeing the effects: intensifying extreme weather, devastating wildfires, deadly heatwaves and longer droughts. And because warming is occurring more quickly at the poles, we’re also seeing faster melting of polar ice. That’s causing seas to rise in many areas, threatening the communities and wildlife that rely on coastal ecosystems.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has called climate change a “code red” for humanity. It has stressed the importance of keeping warming to less than 1.5 degrees to minimize the devastating future effects of climate change.

How WWF-Canada is lightening Canada’s carbon load

WWF-Canada is working to reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes by 2030 by putting nature-based climate solutions to work.

Here’s what that looks like:

Mapping Canada’s carbon stores

To protect carbon-rich ecosystems, we need to know where they are. That’s why WWF-Canada has collaborated with scientists to produce a unique accounting of carbon in Canada’s natural landscapes. This work was led by McMaster University’s Remote Sensing Lab.

This invaluable information will help target nature-based climate solutions for the greatest impact. It’s also revealed the enormous carbon stores on Indigenous lands, as a result of millennia of responsible management by Indigenous peoples. Nature-based climate solutions must be implemented in collaboration with Indigenous communities, where and when requested, in a way that respects their rights, knowledge and governance.

Explore the carbon map here.

Martin Béland © Jess Parker

A man standing next to a technical instrument in the woods

Accelerating innovative, cost-effective and user-friendly technology

The Nature x Carbon Tech Challenge explored the sweet spot where nature and technology meet. It was designed to accelerate the development of efficient, low-cost technologies that measure carbon in Canada’s natural ecosystems. The data derived from these technologies is supporting the assessment and scaling of nature-based climate solutions.

In 2022, five finalists worked with $25,000 grants to test and develop a range of exciting technologies. The project wrapped up in 2023, and three tech creators were each awarded $100,000 contracts to implement their technology on the ground with some of WWF-Canada’s community partners.

Meet the final award recipients and explore their carbon measurement technologies here.

© Deborah Aarts / WWF-Canada

An adult person and a dog seen from behind, with a half circle of adolescents volunteers in Markham, Ont.

Supporting grassroots solutions

The Nature and Climate Grant Program, presented in partnership with Aviva Canada, provides resources to community organizations, not-for-profits and Indigenous Peoples to make nature-based climate solutions work in their own backyards.

Its grantees are working across the country to improve natural habitats and restore vulnerable, carbon-sequestering ecosystems. They include Wolastoq (Saint John River) in New Brunswick, tidal marshes on the east coast of Vancouver Island, B.C., and the Rouge River watershed in Toronto.

Since the launch of the program in 2021, seven grantees have restored more than 702 hectares of habitat on wetlands, grasslands and shorelines, as well as agricultural and former industrial sites. This work has improved habitats for at least 57 local populations of at-risk species. Together, these efforts contributed to making more than 283,000 people more resilient to the effects of climate change. Learn more here.

Protecting blue carbon

From salt marshes to seagrass meadows, vast coastal ecosystems in Canada absorb more carbon per unit area than some terrestrial landscapes. But these aquatic ecosystems habitats are also among our most threatened.

Right now, WWF-Canada is working closely with scientists, policy makers, Indigenous Peoples and community organizations to raise awareness of these critical environments. Together, we’re working to develop new approaches for their protection and restoration.

Read more here about blue carbon and WWF-Canada’s plans.

Supporting Indigenous-led measurement of carbon

Through time-honoured stewardship, Indigenous Peoples have also been protecting the carbon-storing capacity of their lands and waters. With videos, in-person trainings and other easy-to-access sources, WWF-Canada provides education for measuring and monitoring carbon stocks in trees, vegetation and soil, helping build capacity toward this nature-based climate solution while also working to further support Indigenous rights and title. Learn more here.

Reducing Carbon

How do carbon emissions fuel the climate crisis?