AFF CEO: IPCC Report Showcases Need to Activate All Climate Solutions Now
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 21, 2023) – The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released yesterday their latest report on the state of climate change that outlined urgent action needed to achieve global climate goals by 2050. Rita Hite, president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, released the below statement on the report’s release:
“The IPCC’s report makes it alarmingly clear that we must activate all tools, including natural climate solutions, to fight climate change. In order to limit the risks within 1.5-degrees of global warming, governments, companies, and organizations must include forest-based solutions and leverage carbon markets that invest in the health and productivity of America’s forests. These options are no longer a supplement in a company’s net zero portfolio; they are critical to the success of global efforts in mitigating climate change.
Failure to activate all the best available solutions, including the power of family-owned forests, risks our progress in fighting climate change, which impacts vulnerable communities first and worst.”
The IPCC report stressed the urgency of carbon reduction and emphasized that cumulative carbon emissions reduction this decade largely determines whether human-caused global warming can be limited to 1.5°C. And that without additional abatement from existing fossil fuel infrastructures, projected CO2 would exceed the remaining carbon budget for 1.5°C. However, the report emphasized that major sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions would lead to a significant slowing of global warming within the next 20 years.
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About The American Forest Foundation
The American Forest Foundation (AFF) harnesses the power of family forests to fight climate change. Our Family Forest Carbon Program provides the tools for small landowners to improve the health and climate potential of their forests. To learn more about AFF’s commitment to fighting climate change, visit www.forestfoundation.org.
CONTACT: Kristen Voorhees, Communications Director, media@forestfoundation.org
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