Greenhouse gas emissions from the land-use sector will be lower if the rising demand for bioenergy is met with worldwide protection for areas important for biodiversity and carbon storage, shows this IIASA policy brief. Increasing demand for bioenergy in the EU means that there is a pressing need to understand the impacts this might have on land use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and biodiversity, both regionally and globally. This brief explores a range of policy scenarios, showing that protecting biodiversity and carbon storage worldwide could lead to important GHG emissions savings from the land-use sector. In fact, global emissions are 10 metric megatons lower with protections than without. Emissions savings were even greater if the amount of high-quality wood that can be used directly for bioenergy is also capped: 15 metric megatons lower than without protections.