Land rights must be at the heart of climate action, say TMG Research, Robert Bosch Stiftung and RFUK. 

A new report launched today by TMG Research and the Robert Bosch Stiftung is sounding the alarm over the growing threat that land-based carbon offsetting poses to Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Titled “Net Zero & Land Rights”, the publication highlights how current net zero strategies risk triggering a new global land rush, particularly across the Global South, if land rights are not urgently protected.

With net zero targets requiring the removal of vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere, governments and companies are increasingly turning to land-based solutions such as afforestation and reforestation. The report estimates that by 2060, up to one billion hectares of land, an area roughly the size of the United States, could be needed to meet current climate pledges.

However, these carbon removal efforts often come at a hidden cost: land grabs, food insecurity, displacement of communities and the erosion of Indigenous rights.

“We are seeing the return of a land rush – this time driven by carbon markets and climate targets,” warned Dr Jes Weigelt, Managing Director of TMG Think Tank for Sustainability. “Communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis are also key stewards of forests, grasslands and biodiversity. Securing their land rights is not optional – it is essential for meaningful, just and lasting climate action.”