Biodiversity and climate are interconnected. The loss or deterioration of ecosystems and their plants or animals leads to the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere, which accelerates climate change. At the same time, worsening climate change is causing further loss of biodiversity due to heat, drought and fires. In contrast, protecting and restoring ecosystems to maintain or increase their biodiversity are some of the most powerful tools in the fight against climate change.<\/p>\n
Yet governments continue to address these crises in isolation, despite clear evidence of the need for joint and synergistic solutions. This artificial division is strange, given that the UN climate and biodiversity conventions were established simultaneously at the 1992 Earth Summit. Since then, calls for integrated working approaches have been emerging.<\/p>\n
Today, opportunities for holistic, integrated solutions are still lacking. This is worrying given that both crises are approaching dangerous tipping points that could have catastrophic consequences for all of humanity. The preservation and restoration of carbon-rich ecosystems such as peatlands, mangroves, wetlands, forests and swamps are essential in the fight to limit global warming to 1.5\u00b0C.<\/p>\n
These ecosystems can effectively capture carbon from the atmosphere, and their higher integrity ensures long-term and safe carbon storage. Biodiversity plays an important role in supporting the integrity of these ecosystems. Protecting and restoring the natural composition and biodiversity patterns in ecosystems reduces the risk of carbon loss from them to the atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Preventing biodiversity and climate crises<\/p>\n
Protecting and restoring biodiversity helps ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change already underway and mitigate the impacts of climate disasters. The omission of the key role of ecosystems with high biodiversity and carbon stocks in international fora, including the COP on biodiversity and climate, is a cause for concern.<\/p>\n
The need for synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate action has been discussed at ten meetings of the CBD and UNFCCC. However, the main issue, the need to protect and restore ecosystems to maximize synergies, is still missing from these discussions.<\/p>\n
We have not yet developed a common framework for better cooperation between these conventions. Discussions are blocked and the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity is not sufficiently appreciated. Biodiversity is still seen as more of a side contribution to climate action, which hinders progress.<\/p>\n
The fundamental problem is the failure to recognize that addressing the climate crisis can only go hand in hand with addressing the biodiversity crisis. Keeping carbon in ecosystems out of the atmosphere requires simultaneously reducing fossil fuel emissions and protecting ecosystems with high carbon and biodiversity.<\/p>\n
Protecting the integrity of ecosystems<\/p>\n
At the national level, there is often a lack of collaboration between biodiversity focal points and climate experts. Some climate solutions can pose risks to biodiversity, including large-scale afforestation, bioenergy projects and renewable energy infrastructure in protected areas.<\/p>\n
UNFCCC Parties still do not recognize the importance of protecting carbon stocks under LULUCF rules, despite the possibility of offsetting fossil emissions through forestry.<\/p>\n
The problem with interpreting \u201cnet zero\u201d arises from the lack of a measure of ecosystem integrity. Ecosystem integrity needs to be established as a basis for distinguishing the carbon storage capacity of ecosystems, such as old-growth forests.<\/p>\n
Identifying effective ecosystems for permanent carbon storage would improve the management of natural carbon sinks. The COP28 conference recognized the concept of ecosystem integrity, but concrete steps towards a holistic approach are lacking.<\/p>\n
We need a common work program<\/p>\n
The discussion on biodiversity-climate synergies is more advanced in the CBD than in the UNFCCC. The Nairobi meeting in May called for greater cooperation between the COPs on biodiversity and climate, including a joint work programme to align biodiversity and climate action.<\/p>\n
This agenda could include changes to governments\u2019 proposals to meet COP biodiversity and climate targets and avoid conflicts between NDCs for the UNFCCC and NBSAPs for the CBD. (CO2AI)<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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