Anchoring India's Umbrella Species to Biodiversity and Climate Gains

Abstract

Policies for nature-based climate solutions and biodiversity conservation are intrinsically linked but seldom aligned, potentially leading to inefficient use of limited environmental budgets. We propose that countries can harness species-specific legislation to simultaneously conserve biodiversity and natural carbon stocks, helping bridge this gap. For instance, this approach has proven effective in India, where tiger conservation has delivered both biodiversity and climate benefits through area-based protection. Expanding this model, we identify additional species with similar potential. Focusing on 160 legally protected and threatened vertebrates in India, we find that protecting the habitat of any one of nine key species could safeguard over a third of the nation's above-ground carbon (∼1.1 GtC) and vertebrate diversity (> 700 species). We further evaluate whether expanding protection within each candidate species’ unprotected habitat aligns with high-value conservation areas outside the existing protected area network. This offers a tangible, underused strategy for aligning India's climate and biodiversity goals.