The Issue:
Agricultural expansion, deforestation, the draining of wetlands and other land-use changes are significant sources of greenhouse gases – some estimate that they contribute to up to a third of global emissions. At the same time the sectors are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As temperatures rise, droughts and extreme weather events threaten to destroy harvests and offset development gains. The potential for addressing land uses in climate change policy is huge – for the future of the planet and human development. As there are many linkages between land use sectors such as forestry and agriculture, integrated approaches seem promising.
Report Findings:
Despite their importance in climate change, the current climate agreement – the Kyoto Protocol – addresses land use sectors in a scattered manner. Under Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry, developed countries account for their emissions. However, agriculture is only covered in its relation to forestry and deforestation. The emissions related to the industrial processes that support agriculture, like the use of fertilizers, are not covered.
Developing countries do not have obligations under the Kyoto protocol. Project-based approaches like the Clean Development Mechanism and REDD+ aim to set incentives for sustainable land uses in developing countries. Again, there is great potential in exploring how these experiences could contribute to tackling land use challenges in other areas.
Due to the complex and overlapping nature of different land uses there is a clear need for consideration on how to create a more integrated framework for the post-2020 situation, including linkages to other mitigation sectors. Identifying a common approach to land uses that balances adaptation and mitigation needs with national capabilities holds the potential to strengthen – not weaken – the future climate agenda.
The Kyoto protocol was characterized by difficult compromises and many holes. This time around, things could be different: Since the negotiations of the Kyoto Protocol much knowledge has been built, data collected, and confidence gained. The trench between developing and developed countries has not disappeared, but it is now crisscrossed by a multitude of shared initiatives, projects and lessons learned – including in the land use sector.
Recommendations:
- A post-2020 agreement will need to accommodate three faultlines: the full coverage of land use emissions from agriculture and forestry; covering all countries based on common but differentiated responsibilities and the integration of adaptation and mitigation within land use strategies.
- Land use policies could be coherent and harmonized, not dealt with in different tracks.
- Transparency should be encouraged: there should be incentives for countries to share information rather than holding it back.
- Financial incentives should be available for all land-use activities. The Green Climate Fund should have a window for land uses.
