UN Climate Week Calls for Greater Role of a Landscape Approach for Climate Action
10 October 2019, Washington, DC – FAO North America and EcoAgriculture Partners convened a roundtable discussion to reflect on the UN Climate Week in New York and discuss its implications for landscapes.
Sara Scherr, President and CEO of EcoAgriculture Partners, moderated the roundtable and emphasized that the Climate Week was a turning point on land, mitigation and adaptation.
Alex Jones, Director of the Climate and Environment Division at FAO, urged to harness the energy from the Climate Action Summit to promote nature-based solutions. During the summit, 71 counties made commitments to reduce emissions, unfortunately not the biggest emitters. Livestock is responsible for 11 percent of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, which can be reduced by 30 percent with breeding and feeding technologies. Ruminants have a huge potential to reduce emissions by using better feed sources, which is the cheapest and most effective intervention for emission reduction. FAO also partners with the Danish company Arla Foods to reduce emissions per product. The major emissions from livestock is methane, which unlike carbon dioxide breaks down within a decade – showing benefits much earlier that other long tern interventions. Businesses, insurances and private equity firms are now driving carbon pricing and ask for a realistic – meaning higher - price. Jones also urged to increase the amount of climate finance available for nature-based solutions, which is currently at mere 3 percent. He also underlined the untapped potential of soil carbon sequestration.
Tamara Coger from the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) explained that the GCA was convened a year ago by several governments and leaders of NGOs and CEOs. Its aim is to shift the narrative on adaptation: Mitigation is important, but there will be climate change impacts, and adapting to those will be crucial, she emphasized. By investing in drylands, yields can be increased. Adaptation can also protect human health, biodiversity and landscapes. She urged that we have to act now and mobilize funds for adaptation action. She also recommended the report Adapt Now: A Global Call For Leadership On Climate Resilience, which aims to send a message of urgency for adaptation actions.
Ernie Shea, Executive Director of Solutions from the Land, emphasized the need to hear the voice of farmers in the discussion. Many farmers and ranchers are experiencing a climate crisis right now, and are discussing adaptation and mitigation solutions. While the need for adaptation seems clear, the “how” remains the question. Solutions from the Land promotes the sustainable production of food, fiber, feed and energy, nature-based solutions, adaptation and resilience. Shea also urged to be warry of silver bullet solutions. No industry is perfect, and all tools in the toolbox will be necessary.
The discussion also included the role of agricultural subsidies, which could be made climate-smart as the World Bank proposes. The participants also emphasized the growing youth movement for climate, which includes a youth movement for nature-based solutions. Collaborating with indigenous groups is also key.
Read more:
A detailed event recap by EcoAgriculture Partners
FAO at the General Assembly of the United Nations
Nature-Based Solutions for agricultural water management and food security