The images of the storms that devastated parts of Germany last summer have left their mark. Heavy rains destroyed villages and 180 people lost their lives. Such extreme weather events may become more frequent in the future. Europe must face global warming, as do the other continents, especially in the South.
In this context, the second part of the IPCC report on the climate gets a lot of attention. This report takes stock of the global situation. The experts present concrete scenarios of the effects of climate change as well as political, economic and technological solutions to adapt to it.
Cultivating resilience
“Climate change is putting the food supply of millions of people around the world at risk,” warns Sonja Tschirren, Head of Climate and Agricultural Issues at SWISSAID. SWISSAID is working with farmers in nine countries in the South to strengthen their resilience to the consequences of climate change. Through ecological and social agriculture, known as agroecology, SWISSAID supports, for example, the rehabilitation and promotion of old varieties of plants that are more resistant to bad weather, lack of water, pests and diseases. The aim is to guarantee the food security of the population.
Urgent policy measures
But organizations and civil society alone will not be able to absorb the impacts of climate change if nothing is done at the political level. “Switzerland will not achieve climate neutrality in 2050 if drastic political measures are not taken,” warns Sonja Tschirren. “The planned policy instruments are too weak. Switzerland imports and wastes a lot. Our carbon footprint currently amounts to 14 tons per person per year, while the world average is six tons.
SWISSAID is committed to improving the resilience of farmers in the South, who are the first victims of climate change, as well as in the North, for the implementation of global solutions to fight against climate change. This is the only way to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to improve the living conditions of peasant families.
Our engagement in the South as well as in the North:
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body and also an intergovernmental committee of the United Nations. The central task of the IPCC is to compile the latest and most important climate science findings regarding the causes, consequences and risks of climate change. At the same time, it shows how the global community can mitigate and/or adapt to the negative consequences of global warming. A new State of the Climate report is published every six to seven years – three to four years of which are required to produce a new report. Depending on the scope, 100 to 250 experts contribute to each chapter as lead authors.
