Committee on Climate Change responds to IPCC report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has today published a major new report which considers the importance of land use globally in reducing emissions and preparing for the impacts of climate change.

 

In response, Corinne Le Quéré, Member of the Committee on Climate Change, said:

 

“The IPCC has issued a stark warning: the way the world uses its land must change to limit global warming to 1.5°C. That includes rethinking how food is produced globally, our food choices, and how land is managed. Rapid action is needed – delay risks serious impacts including desertification, further degradation of land, and potential disruption to the global food supply. The IPCC’s findings chime with our advice to Government: the UK needs to reduce food waste, promote healthy diets, and use land sustainably, including planting more trees and restoring degraded soils. All of these steps will help to improve people’s lives whilst reducing the harmful emissions which cause climate change.”

 

In early 2020, the Committee on Climate Change will publish a comprehensive assessment of the policies needed to ensure land in the UK is used sustainably and contributes to the UK’s commitment to reduce its emissions to ‘net zero' by 2050.