This publication is part of a collection of papers that analyze several of the technical and political issues in the UN climate change negotiations, including those related to climate finance and to the international adaptation framework; and how to support and encourage low-carbon and climate-resilient development. This work series was led by IDDRI and jointly prepared with experts from four Latin American & Caribbean think tanks (Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, see A perspective from Latin American and Caribbean think tanks on climate change issues Series).
This paper discusses the importance of the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use sector (AFOLU) for mitigation and adaptation, based on the example of Latin America and the Caribbean. They explain why, and how, the issue of the AFOLU sector should be an important part of the 2015 climate agreement.
Extract:
"The Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use sector (AFOLU) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) represents an immediate climate mitigation and adaptation opportunity that should not be ignored. In order for the international community to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and avoid global warming above 2ºC, there is a need for a satisfactory agreement to be reached during the next two United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conferences of the Parties (COPs), to be held in Lima in 2014 and Paris in 2015.
With an ambitious scenario of mitigation policies and actions that involve all sectors of the economy, it would be possible for LAC to reduce the region’s emissions per capita, currently at 8 t CO2eq, to 2 t CO2eq in 2020 and to 0.7 t CO2eq in 2050. This effort is vital to ensure that the average temperature of the planet does not increase by more than 2ºC, a rise that would have irreversible negative effects on the planet. The AFOLU sector in LAC has the potential to support the achievement of this goal; however it needs clear policies and financial resources to help it carry out early actions in preparation for the implementation of a post-2020 agreement."