The sustainability assessment of CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) and the conversion of cropland to forestland program (CCFP) in the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) framework towards China’s carbon neutrality by 2060

Abstract The global warming induced by the emission of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, has become climate and environmental issues. China been working in CO 2 reduction sinks with purpose becoming carbon-neutral country 2060. capture, utilization storage (CCUS) technologies reforestation technology represented Conversion Cropland to Forestland Program (CCFP) have great potential for sinking emission. However, trade-off among CCFP, CCS/CCUS Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus are not well evaluated. In this paper, remote-sensing data collected used evaluate sustainability CCFP analyzing variation land use cover (LULC), crop production, etc. results show that 13.29% cropland 2001 vanished converted grassland (8.3%), mosaic (3%) urban (0.98%) 2019, demonstrating is successful both WEF sink. total production increased around 50% between implying will lead food risk during conversion croplands into other types China. A sustainable implementation Payments Ecosystem Services (PES) policies 2019–2060 could reach an estimated growth 7.462 billion m 3 comparison 2018 plantation forest stock about 10.852 2060, a corresponding minimum sink 2.90 tons peak net equivalent emissions before 2030 11.0 be reduced zero 2060 without large-scale application as geological sequestration . Besides, can beneficial WEF, e.g., through replacing water energy shale gas regions high risks one word, two decided pathways should systematically applied achieve China’s neutrality