More biodiversity protection proposed as climate goal

21 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

A group of scientists has proposed in a study published by Science to include the greatest protection of biodiversity among the objectives to combat climate change.

In their review study they recommend (in addition to meeting the 1.5 degree target) protect and restore at least 30 percent of all terrestrial, freshwater, and marine areasestablishing a network of interconnected protected areas, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between political institutions, which often function independently.

“The climate crisis that they themselves caused is probably the biggest challenge that Homo sapiens has faced in its 300,000-year history,” he says. it’s a statement Professor Hans-Otto Pörtner, Head of the Section for Integrative Ecophysiology at the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research and head of the international team authoring the study.

“But at the same time, another equally dangerous and often overlooked crisis is taking place,” he continued: “the dramatic loss of plant and animal species across the planet. The two catastrophes, the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis, are interdependent and mutually amplifying, so they should never be seen as two separate things. Consequently, our review study shows in detail the connections between the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis and presents solutions to address both catastrophes and mitigate their social impacts, that are already dramatic“he points.

18 international experts have collaborated in the study and is the result of a virtual scientific workshop held in December 2020, attended by 62 researchers from 35 countries, and which was jointly coordinated by two organizations belonging to the United Nations: the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Information Services. Ecosystems (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Hans-Otto Pörtner has been lead author of several assessment reports and special reports for the IPCC and, since 2015, co-chairs its Working Group II, tasked with assessing the current state of knowledge on the impacts of global warming.

In their study, the experts describe the rapidly worsening loss of species with the help of sobering figures: they estimate that Human activities have altered approximately 75% of the land surface and 66% of the marine waters of our planet.

This has occurred to such an extent that today, for example, approximately 80 percent of mammalian biomass and 50 percent of plant biomass has been lost, while more species are threatened with extinction than ever before. another moment in human history.

In this sense, global warming and the destruction of natural habitats not only cause the loss of biodiversity, but also reduce the capacity of organisms, soils and sediments to store carbon, which in turn aggravates the climate crisis. .

Since each organism has a certain range of tolerance to changes in its environmental conditions (for example, temperature), global warming is also causing the displacement of species habitats.

Mobile species follow their temperature range and migrate towards the poles, to higher elevations (on land, ridges) or to greater depths (in the ocean). Sessile organisms, such as corals, can only change their habitats very gradually, over the course of generations: as such, They are trapped in a temperature trap. which means that large coral reefs could, in the long term, disappear completely.

And mobile species could also run into climatic dead ends on mountaintops, on the coasts of landmasses and islands, at the poles, and in the ocean depths, if they no longer find any habitat with suitable temperatures to colonize.

To address these multiple crises, the researchers propose an ambitious mix of emission reduction, restoration and protection measures, smart land use management, and fostering inter-institutional competition among political actors.

“It goes without saying that a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and reaching the 1.5 degree target continue to top the priority list says Hans-Otto Pörtner. Furthermore, at least 30% of all terrestrial, freshwater and marine areas must be protected or restored to prevent further losses of biodiversity and preserve the functioning capacity of natural ecosystems.”

As he points out, “this, in turn, will help us combat climate change. For example, extensive restoration of just 15% of the areas that have been converted to land use could be enough to prevent 60% of predicted extinction events It would also allow up to 300 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide to be removed and sequestered in the long term from the atmosphere, which is equivalent to 12% of all carbon emitted since the dawn of the industrial age“, he assures.

In addition, the study authors advocate a modern approach to land use management, in which protected areas are not seen as isolated havens for biodiversity.

On the contrary, they believe they should be part of a global network, both terrestrial and marine, that interconnects relatively virgin regions through migratory corridors for different species.

In this regard, indigenous peoples and local communities in particular must be supported for their efforts to protect and restore nature. When it comes to regions that are used intensively for agriculture and fishing, the focus must be on sustainability. With the help of modern concepts, Both resource-conserving forms of use and a reliable food supply for the human race must be guaranteed.

In this sense, they recommend that priority must be given to those concepts that lead to intensifying carbon dioxide capture and carbon fixation in biomass and soils. In addition, sufficient refuges must be created for species that make harvesting possible, such as insects that pollinate fruit trees. Finally, improving the carbon dioxide balance must be the absolute priority in cities.

“In the future, all this will only work if – for all approved measures – climate protection is pursued simultaneously, the preservation of biodiversity and social benefits for local communities“, says Portner.

As he points out, “it is unlikely that we will achieve the new global objectives of biodiversity, climate and sustainability foreseen for 2030 and 2050 if the different institutions do not collaborate more intensely. Let us take as an example the UN conventions on biodiversity and climate protection, that is to say , the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”.

In this sense, he warns that “they address the two crises separately and also focus on the national interests of the parties to the agreements. We urgently need a global approach if we are still to hope to achieve the goals“he warns.