Climate Positive Land Use Strategy (CPLUS) Plugin

The challenge of mitigating climate change and achieving global and national climate targets requires innovative and holistic approaches. In this pursuit, the Climate Positive Land Use Strategy (CPLUS) decision support tool has emerged as a crucial resource. CPLUS is a spatially-explicit roadmap designed to guide land-use planning strategies, utilising natural climate solutions to drive meaningful and sustainable change. The CPLUS decision support tool combines open-source technology, localised data sets, and modelled products to empower policymakers, land managers, and stakeholders in making informed decisions. By integrating spatial information, such as land cover, carbon stocks, and potential for carbon sequestration, CPLUS enables the identification of key areas for intervention and investment. By prioritising these nature-based interventions, CPLUS seeks to harness the power of ecosystems and optimise their climate mitigation potential.

One of the distinguishing features of CPLUS is its ability to address both global and national climate targets. While global climate targets provide a broad framework for action, national targets require context-specific strategies tailored to the unique characteristics of each country. The CPLUS decision support tool considers these diverse factors and assists in designing land-use planning strategies that align with national commitments while contributing to global climate goals. Furthermore, CPLUS recognises that effective land-use planning involves collaboration and engagement among various stakeholders. It fosters dialogue and cooperation between governments, local communities, indigenous groups, conservation organisations, and private entities, facilitating the development of inclusive and equitable solutions. By involving diverse perspectives and expertise, CPLUS ensures that the decision-making process is participatory and informed by local knowledge.

Piloted in the Bushbuckridge Municipality in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere of South Africa, the CPLUS framework was tested with a diverse set of stakeholders to identify land use priorities and understand the carbon benefits and biodiversity, ecosystem services co-benefits of different scenarios.