The scientific evidence indicates that the Earth's climate is changing, and
without taking appropriate and early action, climate change will have
severe impacts on our planet and society at large. Under high-end scenarios
of climate change, impacts will include: run-away species and habitat loss,
including damage to ecosystems and the support services they provide; human populations, and substantial economic losses (IPCC, 2014, 2019).
The 2006 landmark Stern Review emphasises that the benefits of strong
early action on climate change outweigh the costs, valuing the cost of inaction
at 5% of global GDP each year and for an indefinite period of time
(Stern, 2006). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC's)
2019 Special Report on Climate Change and Land states with high confidence
that increasing impacts on land, ecosystems and biodiversity are projected
under all greenhouse gas emission scenarios with cascading risks
occurring across systems and sectors (IPCC, 2019). It also states with
high confidence that near-term actions to promote sustainable land management
will help reduce land and food- related vulnerabilities. Moreover,
sustainable land management practices will provide both short-term positive
economic returns and longer-term benefits for climate change adaptation1
and mitigation,2 biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services.
