2.3.11—Alleviating carbon cycle impacts

A robust carbon strategy cuts source flows and protects or builds stores that keep carbon out of the atmosphere for long periods.

Efficiency and low-carbon energy reduce new release; forest and soil protection reduce losses; durable capture can address residual emissions. Each action has limits and leakage or land trade-offs.

Replacing coal cuts a source, while restoring a wetland protects a store; neither alone compensates automatically for all remaining emissions.

Reduction lowers the inflow immediately; restoration cannot safely offset an unlimited or continuing source.

A tree-planting claim is not a substitute for accounting the permanence, additionality and emissions avoided.