Delegates from around the world have assembled at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to negotiate goals for combating climate change aligned with the Paris Agreement, which set the ambitious target to cap Earth's warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
While the discourse surrounding the Paris Agreement often centers on limiting temperature, it's essential to recognize that the scope of this international accord extends beyond mere thermal thresholds. It intricately incorporates steadfast commitments to both mitigation and adaptation in the face of an increasingly warmer world, characterized by heightened concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The accord also acknowledges the imperative to address a spectrum of challenges, ranging from escalated flooding and heatwaves to prolonged droughts.
In the ongoing discourse on devising paths toward achieving climate mitigation and adaptation targets, renewable energy sources consistently take center stage, often perceived as a silver bullet approach. Unfortunately, this spotlight on renewables has, in turn, cast a substantial shadow on nature-based solutions, which scientists emphasize as a "cheap and underused" yet crucial tool for protecting humanity from the environmental crises of the 21st century.
Estimates suggest that leveraging nature-based solutions could contribute significantly to achieving the greenhouse gas reductions necessary to meet the 2030 targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, accounting for approximately 37 percent of the required cuts. According to the reports of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), nature-based solutions can help developing nations save at least $393 billion by the year 2050.
As defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), nature-based solutions encompass "actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural and modified ecosystems that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously benefiting people and nature."
"Nature-based solutions" is an umbrella term that includes actions ranging from reforestation and sponge cities to restoring mangroves and natural farming. However, their applicability transcends traditional human interventions in nature, extending to encompass infrastructure developments and the utilization of technology for robust climate mitigation.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
