Tackling the Issue
Climate change presents a threat whose precise
magnitude is unknown but is potentially massive.
The impact of decisions made now will continue
DownloaD Graphic 2
to be felt for decades or centuries. Various analysts
have identified a 2°C increase in the global mean
temperature above pre-industrial levels as a thresh-
old beyond which climate impacts become signifi-
cantly more severe and the threat of major, irrevers-
ible damage becomes more plausible.
Staying under the 2°C threshold will require very
stringent measures on greenhouse gas emissions,
and the longer the delay in implementation, the
steeper the reduction trajectory required.
Various policies and measures to mitigate climate
change have been implemented worldwide. They
make up a crucial first wave in efforts to limit green-
house gas emissions and to ultimately switch from
the carbon intensive economies. Many important
actions have been taken but the net effect is still
woefully inadequate.
Mainstreaming climate concerns in development
planning is urgent, especially in sectors such as en-
ergy, transport, agriculture, forests and infrastructure
development, at both policy and implementation
levels. Adaptation to anticipated climate change is
now a global priority.
The clearance of forested land and its subsequent use for cattle and crop production, releases carbon stored in the trees and soils, and depletes its potential as a CO
2
sink.
Credit: Ngoma Photos
CLIMATE CHANGE 17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80