Climate

The earth is warming up. As things stand, by 2050 the earth will be between 2.5 and 4 degrees warmer than in pre-industrial times (IPCC, 2021). This means, among other things, more extreme heat, extreme drought, flooding and rising sea levels. People who contribute the least to climate change are often the hardest hit by its effects. Global warming also has a major impact on species and their survival: at least 11,000 IUCN Red List species worldwide are directly threatened by climate change^[1]IUCN. 2023. Wildlife in a changing climate..

Photo: Madre de Dios in Peruvian Amazon ©Tom Laffay.

Nature and climate change

Animal and plant species each play a crucial role in ecosystems. Those ecosystems in turn provide essential services to us as humans, such as the provision of drinking water and food.

Climate change poses a direct threat to people, animals and ecosystems around the world. At the same time, nature can also make an important contribution to the fight against climate change: investing in the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of nature can provide about one-third of the climate mitigation needed by 2030^[2]IUCN. Our work: climate change..

• Read the IUCN Issue Brief about species and climate change

Nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions, natural solutions that protect and restore ecosystems, can help counter the negative effects of climate change. The power of nature is used as an ally. For example, restoring soil life helps make agricultural land resilient again, and mangrove forests can be used as natural coastal protection to protect people against flooding. IUCN NL supports and works with organisations to implement such nature-based solutions. We also advise organisations on how to use them to reduce their footprint.

Forests: essential in the fight against climate change

Forests are not only an important source of biodiversity; forests absorb carbon dioxide, making them essential in the fight against climate change. In addition, forests protect against the consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather conditions, floods and drought. In doing so, they play an important role in climate adaptation. Forests are therefore an important nature-based solution. On the other hand, worldwide deforestation is one of the largest emitters of CO2: about 5-10 gigatonnes of CO2 per year, which is about 12% of global emissions

Worldwide, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods^[3]UN Environment Programme. About forests.. IUCN NL therefore helps local organisations and local and indigenous communities conserve forests to secure their livelihoods.

A responsible energy transition

To reduce CO2 emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change, it is necessary to switch to renewable energy sources as soon as possible. But there are also issues to consider in the energy transition. Extracting raw materials needed for wind turbines or the batteries for electric cars, for example, can create inequality and lead to the loss of nature and biodiversity. This is why IUCN NL is committed to a just energy transition, with an eye for human and environmental rights.