Fight Climate Change, Think Biodiversity
Boosting funding for efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation can simultaneously combat climate change and conserve biodiversity, a pioneering atlas launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) shows.
The new Carbon and Biodiversity Demonstration Atlas – believed to be the first of its kind – pinpoints areas where high carbon and high biodiversity converge.
“At a time of scarce financial resources and economic concerns, every dollar, euro or rupee needs to deliver double, even triple dividends,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director. “Intelligent investment in forests is a key example of where climate benefits and ecosystem benefits can be achieved in one transaction.”
Some 2,000 billion tons of carbon is stored in biomass above the ground and in the soil worldwide.
“Nature has spent millions of years perfecting carbon capture and storage in forests, peatlands, soils and the oceans while evolving the biodiversity that is central to healthy and economically productive ecosystems,” Mr. Steiner said.
While human and technological efforts to capture carbon dioxide produced by power plants and factories before it enters the atmosphere and storing it in oceans and other places play a role, “the biggest and widest returns may come from investing in and enhancing natural carbon capture and storage systems,” he added.
Want to find out more?
- Expert in the field: Achim Steiner - UNEP Executive Director
- Suggested source: UNEP Atlas Shows How Biodiversity Hotspots Are Also Major Carbon Sinks
- Website: Atlas
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