“It’s imperative that we invest in the protection, conservation and restoration of ecosystems, and in the communities that own, manage and treasure them.” These were the words of the Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Michael Noonan.
This comes after a recently published report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report is believed to have outlined climate impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.
In response to the IPCC’s report, the Minister says despite it having steep requests it is “our job to ensure that we bring people with us on this journey to restore nature, stabilise the climate and protect people.”
The document, known to be the second working group contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, states that there are “increasingly severe, interconnected and often irreversible” impacts of climate change on ecosystems, biodiversity and human society.”
Minister Noonan comments that the report highlighted the restoration of degraded ecosystems and safeguarding of biodiversity. Resilience to extreme weather events like floods and droughts can be improved through healthy ecosystems which also underpin food and water security, he adds. Healthy ecosystems are a key pillar of climate-resilient development, particularly because of their function to store and sequester carbon.
LSL News.