The Global Canopy Programme (GCP) welcomes the recent findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Working Group III of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) on mitigation[1] of climate change.
GCP wholly supports the findings of WG III and strongly urges governments at the forthcoming UN Climate Summit and UNFCCC Climate Change negotiations to prioritise urgent action to reduce deforestation as an essential step in limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius.
Main findings from IPCC WGIII in relation to agriculture, forestry and other land use mitigation options:
- The report recognises that immediate action to reduce deforestation and restore degraded forests plays a critical role in urgently addressing climate change
- Although globally deforestation rates have declined in the last decade – largely due to increased regulation and enforcement, the sector is still responsible for 10% of global emissions
- The IPCC report for the first time combines forestry and agriculture mitigation into one chapter – recognising the need for a landscapes approach in addressing climate change mitigation opportunities
- In addition, the report identifies that sustainable management of agriculture, forests and other land is important in underpinning a country’s transition to sustainable development
- The report also recognises that Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) is a cost effective mitigation tool which not only encourages financial flows to support forest conversation but which can also provide economic, social and other environmental co-benefits
Matt Leggett, Head of Policy, Global Canopy Programme states “The IPCC WG III report clearly shows that we need to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions now. Tackling climate change is a multi-dimensional and multi- stage process which requires a seismic shift in human behaviour and given the scale of the challenge at hand it is no longer acceptable for the fossil fuel industry to be receiving $480 billion a year in subsidies.”
He goes onto say “The report also identifies the need for governments to prioritise the transition to low carbon energy mix but this will take time. An important and critical step in the process of addressing climate change is tackling deforestation. In order to quickly stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations governments must commit to meaningful action at the forthcoming UN Climate Summit to significantly reduce deforestation and ensure the delivery of large scale reductions in carbon emission.”
For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Rachel Mountain
Head of Communications
Global Canopy Programme
Email: r.mountain@globalcanopy.org
Tel: +44 (0)1865 724333
About the Global Canopy Programme
The Global Canopy Programme (GCP) is a tropical forest think tank working to demonstrate the scientific, political and business case for safeguarding forest ecosystems as natural capital that underpins water, food, energy, health and climate security for all. www.globalcanopy.org
About the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) will provide a clear view of the current state of scientific knowledge relevant to climate change. It will comprise three Working Group (WG) reports and a Synthesis Report (SYR). The outline and content can be found in the AR5 reference document and SYR Scoping document. http://www.ipcc.ch/
About the 5th Assessment Report (AR5) Working Group III Report
The Working Group III (WGIII) contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report on mitigation of climate change. The IPCC defines mitigation as ‘human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases’. The report does not recommend specific goals for mitigation but ‘assesses the options available at different levels of governance and in different economic sectors’. http://www.ipcc.ch/
[1] Mitigation is defined by the IPCC as human intervention to reduce the sources of enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases
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