A critical review of carbon emission mitigation, carbon sink expansion, and leveraging ecosystem services

Achieving climate stabilization requires integrating carbon emission mitigation, carbon sink expansion, and ecosystem service leveraging, yet information on their synergistic deployment remains fragmented. This study critically synthesizes current knowledge across these three pillars to provide a unified framework for transformative climate action. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature and international reports up to June 2024, the review analyzes sectoral emission patterns, mitigation technologies, sink capacities, and ecosystem-based interventions. Results indicate that widespread adoption of renewable energy, transport electrification, green building practices, regeneration, agriculture, and sustainable industrial processes can collectively reduce global carbon emissions by more than 50%. Natural sinks (forests, soils, wetlands, oceans) and engineered removal options, including carbon capture and storage, direct air capture, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, and biochar offer significant scalable potential, while ecosystem-based approaches, including reforestation, wetland restoration, and payment for ecosystem services, deliver additional sequestration alongside biodiversity conservation and enhanced resilience. This study suggests that only the integrated application of all three pillars provides a practical roadmap to close the gap between current trajectories and Paris Agreement targets, requiring urgent scaling through coherent policies, technological innovation, transparent monitoring, and strengthened international cooperation.Implications: This review critically synthesizes carbon emission mitigation, carbon sink expansion, and ecosystem service leveraging into a unified framework. It demonstrates that sectoral decarbonization through renewables and electrification combined with natural and engineered sinks can close the gap to Paris targets. The findings provide policymakers with actionable pathways to achieve net zero while securing co benefits for biodiversity and resilience. Critically, integrated deployment rather than isolated actions delivers the required scale and speed. This work advances climate policy design by balancing ecological sustainability with socioeconomic development, urging immediate cross sectoral cooperation and scaled investment in both technological and nature based solutions.