A Rights-Based Approach to Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Environmental Investigation Agency argues for a rights-based approach to land use in the post-2020 global climate agreement. It emphasizes that land-based mitigation must not displace industrial emission reductions, must protect the tenure rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, and must prioritize food security and biodiversity to avoid perverse outcomes from policies like biofuels and carbon offsets.

• The document proposes a land use framework based on four key principles: rights (respect for land and resource territories), ambition (ensuring land sequestration does not replace fossil fuel emission reductions), equity (per capita allocation of the global carbon budget for food production), and biodiversity (maintaining ecological integrity).
• There is a critical distinction between fossil carbon and terrestrial carbon; while industrial emission reductions are permanent, carbon sequestration in forests and soils is temporary and vulnerable to reversals. The authors argue that treating these as fungible allows temporary terrestrial stores to justify continued fossil fuel combustion.
• To maintain environmental integrity, the brief recommends 'non-fungibility' between industrial and terrestrial emissions, meaning separate targets should be set for each so that land-based mitigation does not reduce the ambition for reducing industrial emissions.
• The document advocates for a 'food security threshold' in climate negotiations, proposing an equal per capita allocation of agricultural emissions. This approach aims to place the mitigation burden on high-emitting industrial agriculture and high-consumption countries while protecting the rights of small-scale producers.
• The brief highlights that strengthening the legal tenure rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, and women is an effective strategy for reducing deforestation and mitigating climate change.
• Climate policies, specifically biofuels and carbon offsets, have already caused human rights violations, including increased land competition, undermined tenure rights, and escalating conflicts.
• The document emphasizes the link between biodiversity and climate resilience, noting that the loss of intact natural forests increases the incidence of drought and fire, which can turn carbon sinks into sources of emissions.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). A Rights-Based Approach to Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LandUse_RBA_20May2015.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. A Rights-Based Approach to Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LandUse_RBA_20May2015.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=A Rights-Based Approach to Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LandUse_RBA_20May2015.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndrightsbased, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{A Rights-Based Approach to Land Use in a Future Climate Agreement}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LandUse_RBA_20May2015.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }