16 December 2014
ECLAC Warns Against Increasing Climate Change Impacts in LAC
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A report, published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), warns that climate change impacts in the region are already significant and will likely become more intense in the future.

The report, ‘The economics of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Paradoxes and challenges of sustainable development,' was presented during the UN Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, in December 2014.

ECLAC10 December 2014: A report, published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), warns that climate change impacts in the region are already significant and will likely become more intense in the future. The report, titled ‘The economics of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Paradoxes and challenges of sustainable development,’ was presented during the UN Climate Change Conference in Lima, Peru, in December 2014.

The ECLAC report describes observed effects in agricultural activity, water availability, forests and biodiversity, sea levels, tourism and health, and calls for immediate action that addresses both mitigation and adaptation.

If the region’s average temperature rises by 2.5°C, the economic costs of climate change are tentatively estimated at between 1.5% and 5.0% of current gross domestic product (GDP). Adaptation costs are calculated at below 0.5% of the current GDP and are concentrated in protecting coastal areas, agricultural activity and the water sector.

The study explains that the Caribbean subregion is particularly exposed to combined phenomena, such as rising sea levels coupled with extreme climate events, such as drought, flooding, hurricanes and storms. It notes that according to some climate scenarios, the entire coral ecosystem might collapse by 2050. Regarding agriculture and livestock, the report explains that in order to adapt to climate change, some agricultural producers are switching from corn, wheat and potatoes to fruits and vegetables, and relying more on irrigation, while agricultural lands are being converted into livestock ranches or mixed farms.

The study describes an asymmetrical situation in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), which is responsible for just 9% of emissions, but is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Stabilizing the world’s climate would require that emissions levels be reduced from approximately seven tons of CO2 per capita today to approximately two tons per capita by 2050. ECLAC urges for an international agreement in which all countries actively participate within the context of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). While growth in LAC economies has led to improved economic and social conditions in the region, it has also contributed to increases in air pollution in urban areas, as well as a deterioration of, inter alia, non-renewable resources, water resources and forests.

The report explains that LAC must transition towards a sustainable form of development that will preserve its economic, social and natural assets, and that if the climate change challenge is to be successfully addressed, a global consensus that recognizes the asymmetries and paradoxes of the problem must be reached.

The report includes chapters on: climate change evidence and future scenarios at the global and regional scales; and the economics of climate change, and an an overview of its impacts, including on agricultural activities, water resources, urban and health challenges, the region’s coastlines, biodiversity and forests, and risk management in the context of extreme weather events. It also discusses: the climate change economy and subregional and national impacts, including in Central America, the Caribbean, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay; adapting to climate change; sustainable development and mitigation strategies for a global economy; and the transition to an egalitarian, low-carbon economic growth path. [ECLAC Press Release] [Publication: The Economics of Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean: Paradoxes and Challenges of Sustainable Development]


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