A three-day meeting to discuss an agenda against climate change begins this Tuesday in Costa Rica. More than a thousand delegates from around the world are gathered, including 30 environment ministers. The participants highlighted the need to look to nature for mechanisms to contain global warming, caused by the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The meeting serves as a preamble to the 25th UN Conference of the Parties (COP 25) on climate change, which will be held from December 2 to 13 in Chile. Chilean Environment Minister Carolina Schmidt, who will chair the event, explained that the meeting in her country will mark a “turning point” in climate deliberations, as it moves from negotiations to action.
Climate change threatens food production
The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) presented the connection between land use and its effects on climate change. The document shows how unhealthy soils and forests aggravate climate change. The IPCC's conclusions are the result of two years of work by 103 experts from 52 countries, who voluntarily participated in the study.
The report, discussed with governments in early August in Geneva, Switzerland, was approved by consensus by all countries participating in the IPCC. It indicates that if global warming exceeds the 2º Celsius limit established by the Paris Agreement, fertile lands will likely turn into deserts, infrastructure will collapse and extreme weather events will put the food system at risk.
The authors emphasize that the report's recommendations can help governments prevent the worst damage, reducing pressure on land and making food systems more sustainable, while meeting the needs of a growing population.
“My hope is that this report will have some impact on how we think about land in the context of climate change and on policies that will promote sustainable land management and sustainable food systems,” said Alisher Mirzabaev, co-author of the IPCC report.
