Global climate crisis and regional contexts. A study on ecosystem services related to Sardinia, Italy

Global climate change threatens human health, impacting both physical and psychological well-being. Mitigating these effects requires balancing the carbon cycle, as carbon dioxide regulates Earth’s temperature through its role in greenhouse gases. In line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of climate neutrality by century’s end, the objective is to limit global warming to 1.5 °C by balancing carbon emissions and removals. Yet, existing atmospheric carbon could still add about 0.6 °C of warming, even if emissions ceased today. Achieving net-zero emissions is therefore crucial and underscores the need to understand ecosystems’ capacity for carbon storage and sequestration. This study proposes a methodological framework to support climate neutrality through spatial planning policies, using the Carbon Capture Capacity (CCC) indicator to assess current conditions and trends. CCC is examined alongside five ecosystem services (ESs): heat mitigation, habitat quality, crop and timber production, scenic quality, and potential for outdoor activities (POA). Focusing on Sardinia, spatial correlations between CCC and these ESs are analyzed to assess how multifunctional ecosystems enhance carbon sequestration and contribute to global climate goals. CCC mapping, based on the InVEST “Carbon Storage and Sequestration” model, reveals strong positive correlations with heat mitigation and habitat quality, while POA shows moderate influence. Weaker links with production and scenic quality stress the need for careful siting of renewable energy to preserve landscape integrity.