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Purpose

The purpose of these documents is to raise the profile of the ecosystems approach in the UNFCC 15th Conference of the Parties meeting in Copenhagen to tackling not just climate change mitigation and adaptation, but also poverty alleviation, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity loss and many other environmental issues. The papers help to:

  • Define the problem:
    • The imbalance in the global carbon cycle
    • Consequences on the ecosystem services we rely on
  • Emphasise the essential role that ecosystems play in moderating the global carbon cycle and therefore climate;
  • Highlight the importance of including an ecosystems based approach in the COP 15 agenda and within a global climate change strategy;
  • Indicate the cost-benefit advantages of doing this;
  • Highlight the socio-economic and environmental advantages of adopting an ecosystems based adaptation approach.