Emissions, pollution – and climate change

06.11.2015 - Climate change is an inevitable and urgent global challenge with long-term implications for the sustainable development of all countries. 

The links between climate change and sustainable development are strong. While climate change will know no boundaries, particularly the less developed countries will be among those most adversely affected and least able to cope with the anticipated shocks to their social, economic and natural systems. 

The United Nations is dedicated to work towards protecting the environment and people from its adverse effects. Highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal #13, is taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impact on the world. Coming up in a few weeks, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. It is thus essential to integrate climate change measures into national policies, and improve education and raise awareness among the world's population.

UN environment news around the world this week: 

Unprecedented momentum signaled for Climate Agreement in Paris to reduce emissions by 2030 

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released the Emissions Gap Report, stating that existing policies and strong engagement by nations will limit greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. However, a new climate agreement can encourage further action to limit global temperature rise to 2°C by 2100. The report highlights that the challenge is to bend the emissions trajectory down to ensure that the net zero emissions goal in 2060-2075 is within reach. It also recommends early action on climate to keep costs as low as possible and avoid deeper and more challenging cuts later. 

"Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) assessed in this Emissions Gap report signal a breakthrough in terms of international efforts to bend the curve of future emissions” - UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. Read more. 

Adverse weather pushes global food prices up by 3.9 per cent in October

Weather-driven concerns about sugar and palm oil supplies have led to a price increase of major food commodities in October, said Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In the released report called Food Outlook, the agency stated that its Food Price Index averaged nearly 162 points in October, up 3.9% from September, although still down 16% from a year earlier. Read more.

Climate change poses ‘major threat’ to food security

“Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather, rising temperatures and sea levels, as well as floods and droughts have a significant impact on the right to food,” said Hilal Elver, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, in a news release, adding that these climate incidents will negatively impact crops, livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and people's livelihoods. She also warned that responding to the food demand through large-scale production oriented agricultural models is not the right solution. Read more.

‘Climate change knows no national borders,’ Ban says, urging consensus-building ahead of Paris conference

With the “deadline” for concluding a universal climate agreement just weeks away, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that despite months of talks and critical pledges on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, key issues still remain in play – on equity and differentiation, on finance and ambition – requiring world leaders to give clear guidance to their negotiators to seek compromise and reach a fair, universal deal at the upcoming UN climate conference in Paris. Read more.

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Photo Credits:

Billy Wilson   

Sheila

UN Photo/Stuart Price

Oxfam/Brendan Cox

Norwegian Embassy for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)/Rini Sulaiman