Capture and storage

The "Conservation" category focuses on nature-based projects aimed at preserving existing natural carbon storages that are vulnerable to destruction, such as rainforests at risk of being cleared for development or peat bogs that might be drained for agricultural use. Example projects include the Manoa Avoided Deforestation in Brazil, which prevents the cutting down of rainforests, and the Katingan Mentaya Peatland Preservation in Indonesia, which safeguards peatlands from being drained.

The benefits of these conservation efforts are crucial for mitigating severe climate change impacts by maintaining natural carbon reserves and preventing their release into the atmosphere. These projects are scalable and can create immediate significant impacts.

However, there are challenges. There's a risk of overestimating the impact of these projects, assuming they prevent more emissions than they actually do. Additionally, the durability of the benefits from these projects can be compromised by natural risks like fires or pest infestations, and there's a possibility that the benefits could be reversed once the projects conclude.