What this document is
This is Chapter 11 of the Working Group III volume of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. Working Group III deals with mitigation — how emissions can be reduced — and this chapter is devoted to the land sector, grouped under the heading Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use, or AFOLU.
Unlike a Summary for Policymakers, this is a full technical chapter written for a specialist readership. This page gives a general overview of its scope; for the detailed assessment, estimates and confidence statements, please read the IPCC original.
What it covers
The chapter’s defining insight is that land is unusual among emission sources: it both releases and absorbs greenhouse gases, so the balance can be shifted in either direction. Its broad themes include the following.
- Emissions from agriculture, including methane and nitrous oxide from livestock and fertiliser;
- Emissions from deforestation and other changes in land use;
- The capacity of forests and soils to absorb and store carbon;
- Mitigation options such as reduced deforestation, reforestation and better land management;
- The interaction between food production, bioenergy and land available for carbon storage.
A widely cited takeaway from this area of the assessment is that agriculture, forestry and land-use change together account for roughly a quarter of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, underlining why the sector matters.
Why it matters
Because the land sector is both a major source and a potential sink, it offers mitigation opportunities that energy alone cannot provide. Protecting forests and improving land management can cut net emissions while also supporting food security and biodiversity.
The chapter has become a standard reference in discussions of forests, farming and carbon. As many external links to the original PDF now fail, a stable summary preserves the reference.
How it relates to UK energy
The AFOLU chapter also touches on bioenergy — crops and residues used for heat and power — which sits at the boundary between the land sector and the energy system. That link matters for the UK, where biomass and green gas form part of the low-carbon mix. See our environment guides for how carbon and land connect to everyday energy choices.
You can read the original on the IPCC’s official AR5 Working Group III page.
Frequently asked questions
What does AFOLU stand for?
AFOLU stands for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use. It is the umbrella term the IPCC uses for emissions and removals of greenhouse gases associated with farming, forests and changes in how land is used.
What is Working Group III?
Working Group III of the IPCC assesses climate change mitigation — the options for reducing emissions or enhancing the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Chapter 11 is the part of AR5 dedicated to the land sector.
Why is land use important for climate?
Agriculture and land-use change together account for a substantial share of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, while forests and soils can also absorb large amounts of carbon. That dual role — source and sink — makes the land sector central to mitigation.
Where can I read the original chapter?
The chapter is published openly as part of the AR5 Working Group III report. This page links to the IPCC’s official AR5 WGIII pages.