UN warns: don’t forget animal species in the fight against climate change

The climate crisis and the disappearance of animal species must be fought simultaneously. This is what scientists at the United Nations are saying.

They fear that some measures against global warming will be done to the detriment of certain animal species. Certain climate measures can accelerate the extinction of plants and animals. A joint study of various scientific bodies of the United Nations shows that the two problems can be addressed simultaneously.

Measures such as expanding bioenergy crops grown for energy, like corn, or attempts to extract carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the soil would cost as much land – twice as much as India – that the impact is “quite catastrophic for biodiversity”.

Each problem has been considered separately for a long time. Other government agencies are responsible for climate change and biodiversity. Yet the problems are closely related and end up harming humans, the scientists conclude.

Solutions

There are many steps that can fix both issues simultaneously, according to the report. “Protecting and restoring carbon-rich ecosystems,” such as tropical forests and peatlands, should be a high priority, said study co-author Pete Smith, a plant and soil specialist at the University of ‘Aberdeen.

Moreover, it is true that certain climatic solutions can lead to the loss of animal species, but this is not the case in the other direction; efforts to combat the extinction of animal species will not harm the climate.