Appendix 1.
Conservation and the Climate Convention
Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation
- Biodiversity conservation and maintenance
is explicitly built into the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) as a part of the overarching objective. The reference
to ecosystems in the convention objective has been widely quoted,
but there are two other key paragraphs that help to put the objective
in context. Three basic statements guide the Parties to the Convention
on this matter. Article 2 of the convention states:
- "The ultimate objective of this convention and any related
legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt
is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the
Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in
the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved
within a timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt
naturally to climate change , to ensure that food production is
not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in
a sustainable manner." (author's emphasis)
- Supporting this emphasis on allowing ecosystems to adapt naturally
is the following definition from Article 1.1:
- "'Adverse effects of climate change' means changes in the
physical environment or biota resulting from climate change which
have significant deleterious effects on the composition, resilience
or productivity of natural and managed ecosystems or on the operation
of socioeconomic systems or on human health and welfare."
(author's emphasis)
- And finally, Article 3.3 states that:
- "The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate,
prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate
its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible
damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as
a reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that
policies and measures to deal with climate change should be costeffective
so as to ensure global benefits at the lowest possible cost."
(author's emphasis)
From these three statements it is clear that the Parties to the
Convention must try to prevent negative impacts of climate change
on biodiversity as well as on ecosystem structure and process.
The reference to ecosystem resilience in Article 1.1 has not yet
been widely noted, and may yet turn out to be a crucial guide
to implementation of the Convention. Resilience in scientific
terms describes the ability of an ecosystem to absorb changes
in variable factors, such as climate or disturbance, without being
destroyed or broken up.
Policymakers need information on timescales that allow
them to use the best available analysis in ongoing decisionmaking
and negotiation processes. Expert judgement has emerged as part
of the impact and risk assessment process of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change. WWF proposes a twotrack approach
for assessment of ecological limits to climate change. This would
consist of interim targetsetting for emissions reductions
based on expert judgement, as well as review and assessment of
existing data in parallel with a longerterm, more comprehensive
analysis.
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