Earth Needs Both Climate And Nature

Fifty global science experts from two major United Nations bodies, IPBES [Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services] and IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change], came together to understand how climate change affects nature and vice versa. They asked: How can we tackle both crises at once?

The researchers held a virtual workshop in December 2020, gathering experts from fields like biology, climate science, and social sciences. These experts reviewed existing knowledge to find connections between Earth's climate and its living systems.

The report reveals that human activities have drastically reshaped our planet. A staggering 77 percent of land and 87 percent of the ocean have been altered. This massive transformation has led to huge losses in both biodiversity and the healthy functioning of ecosystems.

The report highlights that solutions found in nature, like restoring forests, can help fight climate change. But these "nature-based solutions" are not a magic bullet. They only work if we cut down human-caused greenhouse gas emissions drastically.

The study points to an idea called "offsets," where natural climate solutions might compensate for ongoing pollution. However, the report states:

The concept of 'offsets' using natural climate solutions has been proposed to achieve early emissions reductions (particularly at lower cost) or to compensate for continued emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors; such offsets are increasingly part of 'net-zero' emissions pledges.

This effort, while broad, acknowledges some limitations:

• Lack of formal recognition for certain greenhouse gases in international guidelines.
• Limited understanding of how technological fixes impact nature and its benefits to people.

Future research will explore these gaps.