Delayed use of bioenergy crops might threaten climate and food security

Siqing Xu, Rong Wang (), Thomas Gasser, Philippe Ciais, Josep Peñuelas, Yves Balkanski, Olivier Boucher, Ivan A. Janssens, Jordi Sardans, James H. Clark, Junji Cao, Xiaofan Xing, Jianmin Chen, Lin Wang, Xu Tang and Renhe Zhang
Additional contact information
Siqing Xu: Fudan University
Rong Wang: Fudan University
Thomas Gasser: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Philippe Ciais: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA CNRS UVSQ
Josep Peñuelas: CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB
Yves Balkanski: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA CNRS UVSQ
Olivier Boucher: Sorbonne Université/CNRS
Ivan A. Janssens: University of Antwerp
Jordi Sardans: CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB
James H. Clark: Fudan University
Junji Cao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xiaofan Xing: Fudan University
Jianmin Chen: Fudan University
Lin Wang: Fudan University
Xu Tang: Fudan University
Renhe Zhang: Fudan University

Nature, 2022, vol. 609, issue 7926, 299-306

Abstract: Abstract The potential of mitigation actions to limit global warming within 2 °C (ref. 1) might rely on the abundant supply of biomass for large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) that is assumed to scale up markedly in the future2–5. However, the detrimental effects of climate change on crop yields may reduce the capacity of BECCS and threaten food security6–8, thus creating an unrecognized positive feedback loop on global warming. We quantified the strength of this feedback by implementing the responses of crop yields to increases in growing-season temperature, atmospheric CO2 concentration and intensity of nitrogen (N) fertilization in a compact Earth system model9. Exceeding a threshold of climate change would cause transformative changes in social–ecological systems by jeopardizing climate stability and threatening food security. If global mitigation alongside large-scale BECCS is delayed to 2060 when global warming exceeds about 2.5 °C, then the yields of agricultural residues for BECCS would be too low to meet the Paris goal of 2 °C by 2200. This risk of failure is amplified by the sustained demand for food, leading to an expansion of cropland or intensification of N fertilization to compensate for climate-induced yield losses. Our findings thereby reinforce the urgency of early mitigation, preferably by 2040, to avoid irreversible climate change and serious food crises unless other negative-emission technologies become available in the near future to compensate for the reduced capacity of BECCS.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05055-8

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