Climate change

On 23 July 2019, the European Commission adopted an EU communication on stepping up EU action to protect and restore the world’s forests. The communication has the objective of protecting and improving the health of existing forests, especially primary forests, and significantly increasing sustainable, biodiverse forest coverage worldwide.

The European Union announced new humanitarian funding of €18.5 million for the Latin American and Caribbean region, an area where numerous natural disasters threaten already vulnerable communities. The amount announced today includes €15 million to support preparedness of local communities and institutions for natural disasters throughout the region: Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Haiti. A further €2.5 million will support projects addressing violence, and €1 million for food assistance in Central America.

As natural disasters threaten the most vulnerable people in the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region, the EU is providing €7 million in humanitarian aid to increase the capacity of communities and authorities to prepare for and respond to disasters. This aid is in addition to the approximately €17 million in EU humanitarian assistance given this year to help people hit by cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Comoros, and people affected by food shortages in Zimbabwe.

Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica and Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella are attending the United Nations High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development this week.

Societies worldwide have become more resilient to climate disasters but climate change is likely to result in an unprecedented rise in climate extremes.

In order to estimate how much European forests contribute to our EU 2030 climate targets by removing CO2 from the atmosphere, the LULUCF Regulation required Member States to submit National Forestry Accounting Plans.

Many countries are formulating a long-term climate strategy to be submitted to the UNFCCC by 2020. Model-based, multi-disciplinary assessments should be a key ingredient for guiding policy makers and engaging stakeholders in this process.

The annual Global Solutions Summit held by the Global Solutions Initiative brings together international research organizations, thought-leaders and decision-makers from across political, business and civic communities.

The First FAO/WHO/AU International Conference on Food Safety