UN warns: Don’t forget animal species when tackling climate change

The climate crisis and the loss of animal species must be addressed simultaneously. This is what scientists from the United Nations say.

They fear that some of the actions against global warming may be at the expense of certain animal species. Certain climate measures can accelerate the extinction of plants and animals. A joint study by various United Nations scientific bodies, published on Thursday, showed that both problems can be addressed simultaneously.

Measures such as the expansion of bioenergy crops grown for energy, such as corn, or attempts to extract carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ground, may use the land area – twice the size of India – so that the impact is “somewhat catastrophic for biodiversity”.

Each problem was considered separately for a long time. Other government agencies are responsible for both climate change and biodiversity. However, scientists concluded that the problems are intertwined and ultimately harm humans.

Solution

The report said that there are several measures that can address both problems simultaneously. Study co-author Pete Smith, a botanist and soil scientist at the University of Aberdeen, said that “protecting and restoring carbon-rich ecosystems”, such as tropical forests and peatlands, should be a top priority.

By the way, it is true that some climatic solutions can lead to the loss of animal species, but the opposite is true; Efforts to combat the extinction of animal species will not harm the climate.