Nature-Based Carbon Removal Explained: Methods, Risks & Quality

Nature-based carbon removal uses land, coastal and ocean ecosystems to pull CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in plants, soils and sediments. It includes reforestation, improved forest management, soil carbon, wetland restoration, blue carbon and biochar. Last updated October 2026.

This guide explains how these methods work, their benefits and risks, how to judge quality, and where they fit alongside engineered removal such as Direct Air Capture (DAC) and wider Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR).

Nature-Based Carbon Removal at a Glance

Scale: about 2 gigatonnes of CO₂ a year are removed today, almost all of it through conventional, mostly land-based, methods (The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal).
Potential: a widely cited 2017 study (Griscom et al.) estimated that natural climate solutions could provide about 37% of the cost-effective CO₂ mitigation needed through 2030 to keep warming below 2°C.
Strength: generally cheaper than engineered removal and delivers co-benefits for biodiversity, water and communities.
Weakness: carbon stored in forests and soils can be lost to fire, drought, pests or land-use change, so permanence and verification need careful management.

What Is Nature-Based Carbon Removal?

Nature-based carbon removal, sometimes called natural climate solutions, uses ecosystems that already absorb and store CO₂ through photosynthesis, biomass growth and soil processes. Unlike the industrial systems described in our guide to carbon capture technology, these methods use no mechanical capture equipment, but they need long-term protection and monitoring.

Carbon is stored in:

Forest biomass
Agricultural soils
Wetlands and peatlands
Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass
Biochar and long-lasting biological materials

For the wider removal landscape, see our full guide on CDR.

How Nature-Based Carbon Removal Works

Photosynthesis and Biomass Growth

Plants take in CO₂ and convert it into stems, roots, leaves and soil organic matter.

Carbon Storage in Ecosystems

Carbon can remain stored for decades, centuries or longer, depending on the ecosystem. Peatlands, mangroves and old-growth forests are among the most carbon-dense.

Soil Carbon Accumulation

Soils hold more carbon than the atmosphere and all living plants combined. Practices like regenerative agriculture can rebuild soil organic carbon.

Biological Stabilisation

Some methods, such as biochar, turn biomass into stable carbon that can remain locked away for centuries or longer.

For scientific background, see the IPCC's assessment of removal pathways: IPCC AR6 Working Group III.

Main Types of Nature-Based Carbon Removal

1. Reforestation and Afforestation

Reforestation restores degraded or lost forests; afforestation plants forests on land not recently forested. Forests remove carbon for decades as they grow, but permanence depends on protection from logging, disease and fire.

2. Improved Forest Management (IFM)

IFM changes how existing forests are managed, for example by extending rotation ages or reducing harvest rates, to increase carbon storage.

3. Soil Carbon Sequestration

Cover cropping, reduced tillage and managed grazing can increase soil carbon, but the changes are small per hectare, vary by site and are hard to measure.

4. Biochar

Biochar is made by heating biomass without oxygen (pyrolysis), producing a stable solid carbon that can remain in soil for centuries. It is often treated as a durable removal method.

5. Wetland and Peatland Restoration

Peatlands store roughly twice as much carbon as all the world's forests while covering only about 3% of land. Restoring water levels prevents carbon loss and allows storage to continue.

6. Blue Carbon (Coastal Ecosystems)

Mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows store large amounts of carbon in biomass and deep sediments. See the UN Environment Programme's overview of blue carbon ecosystems.

Benefits of Nature-Based Carbon Removal

Lower Cost Than Engineered Solutions

Nature-based methods are generally cheaper per tonne than DAC and other engineered approaches covered in our DAC guide.

Ecosystem Co-Benefits

Restored ecosystems provide habitat, flood protection, improved soil and biodiversity recovery.

Scalability

Large areas of land and coast offer significant capacity, though governance and land rights are crucial.

Community and Economic Value

Projects can support local agriculture, Indigenous stewardship and rural economies.

Challenges and Limitations

Permanence and Risk of Reversal

Unlike geological storage, forests and soils can lose carbon through wildfire, drought, pests or land-use change. Buyers often hold back part of a project's credits as a buffer against this risk.

Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

Quantifying carbon in biological systems is harder than monitoring an engineered plant. Satellite and AI tools are improving MRV, but uncertainty remains.

Land Competition

Large projects can conflict with food production, biodiversity needs or community land rights.

Variability Over Time

Biological systems change from year to year with weather, disease and management.

For why permanence and MRV matter, see the discussion in our CDR guide.

How to Judge a Nature-Based Carbon Project

Permanence plan: what protects the carbon for decades, and what happens if it is lost?
Additionality: would the project have happened anyway?
Independent verification: third-party measurement and registry listing
Community consent and benefit sharing
Honest claims: not presenting temporary storage as permanent

Leading Organizations and Projects

Conservation International: works on forest and coastal ecosystem conservation and restoration.
Blue Carbon Initiative: a partnership advancing the conservation and restoration of coastal carbon ecosystems.
Carbonfuture: a biochar-focused MRV and marketplace platform.
Amazon's Right Now Climate Fund: a $100 million fund for reforestation and forest conservation. See Amazon's climate goals.

Companies increasingly combine natural and engineered removal, for example Microsoft and Google, to balance cost, permanence and transparency.

How Nature-Based Removal Fits Into Corporate Climate Strategies

Short- and Medium-Term Role

Nature-based solutions offer cost-effective removals and ecosystem benefits alongside decarbonisation.

Long-Term Role

Over time, buyers are expected to shift more spending toward higher-permanence options such as DAC and mineralization, while nature-based solutions remain essential for ecosystem protection and regeneration.

High-Quality Criteria

Corporate buyers increasingly demand:

Clear MRV
Social and ecological integrity
Long-term contractual safeguards
Avoidance of greenwashing claims

The Science Based Targets initiative provides guidance on credible use of removals: sciencebasedtargets.org

Frequently Asked Questions About Nature-Based Carbon Removal

What is nature-based carbon removal?

Using forests, soils, wetlands and coastal ecosystems to take CO₂ out of the air and store it in plants, soils and sediments.

Are nature-based solutions enough on their own?

No. They provide crucial near-term removal, but long-term climate stability also needs durable engineered solutions, as outlined in our CDR guide.

How long does nature-based carbon stay stored?

From decades for fast-growing forests to centuries for some soils, peat and biochar, depending on the system and how well it is protected.

Is nature-based carbon removal a good offset?

It can be, if the project is well designed, independently verified and honest about permanence. Poorly designed projects can overstate their removals.

Do these methods work everywhere?

Effectiveness depends on regional climate, ecosystems, land-use policies and long-term protections.

Conclusion

Nature-based carbon removal plays a foundational role in the climate response. It is not a substitute for emission cuts or for high-permanence removal like DAC, but it is essential for restoring ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and delivering climate benefits at scale. Combined with engineered approaches and robust strategies, it supports a credible path to net zero and beyond.

Sources

The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal, 2nd edition, Griscom et al., Natural climate solutions, PNAS (2017), and the IPCC AR6 Working Group III report.