EXCHANGE Volume 02, No. 1, 2024, pp. 146-151

Yueming SUN

The Connection Between Carbon Neutrality and Nature Conservation

Abstract: This essay examines the symbiotic relationship between carbon neutrality and nature conservation in the context of global efforts to alleviate climate change. It begins by defining carbon neutrality as the balance between emitted and absorbed carbon dioxide, emphasizing its importance in reducing the human carbon footprint. Nature conservation is presented as pivotal for maintaining earth’s biodiversity and providing ecosystem services such as clean air, water, and climate regulation. The paper proposes to explore how pursuits of carbon neutrality positively influence nature conservation and vice versa. Detailed descriptions of how to achieve carbon neutrality include reducing emissions through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and lifestyle changes, alongside carbon offsetting measures like reforestation and carbon capture technologies. Global initiatives like the Paris Agreement underscore the commitment of various countries to carbon neutrality, with an emphasis on coherence and collaborative action.

The essay discusses the essence of biodiversity and ecosystem services, highlighting the critical nature of conservation for sustaining human life. It addresses threats to conservation, primarily stemming from human activities like deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Lastly, the interconnection of climate change mitigation and ecosystem preservation is analyzed. The role of natural ecosystems in carbon sequestration is explained, with forests, wetlands, and oceans acting as carbon sinks, and their broader role in climate change mitigation is discussed. The paper aims to show the intertwined nature of achievingcarbon neutrality and conserving natural ecosystems, advocating for integrated policy approaches for a sustainable future.

Keywords: Carbon neutrality; biodiversity and ecosystem services.