Climate breakdown: governments must unite behind the science to transform land use

The IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land released on Thursday is a stark reminder that we are in an ecological and climate emergency.

This report-- coming after the IPCC Special Report on 1.5C and the IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity report -- ties together the best available science on how use of land is exacerbating the climate crisis.

It offers clear direction to governments on how to avert climate breakdown by rapidly transforming land use and food systems, halting deforestation and pursuing domestic policies that empower small-holder farmers, eliminate poverty and hunger and protect the most vulnerable from increasingly frequent extreme weather calamities.

“How we produce food will become an ever more important task for people needing to survive and thrive in a world facing a triple crisis of climate change, poverty and biodiversity loss? It’s crucial we use land in the most efficient way possible to bring down our emissions, conserve the natural systems on which we rely and boost food security for the most vulnerable,” said Katherine Kramer, Global Climate Lead, Christian Aid.

Drastically cutting food waste and switching to more plant-based diets, particularly in high-emitting societies, while promoting agroecological farming will also go a long way towards curbing emissions and strengthening adaptation.

Governments must unite behind the science. They must now substantially increase their national climate targets by 2020 in line with the 1.5°C pathway and cut global emissions by half within the next decade. Nature-based solutions must go together with abandoning fossil fuel use and investing in renewables. This report must form the basis for a renewed political conviction to respond to the climate crisis.