Climate change mitigation entails reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to combat global warming, such as switching to renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and adopting regenerative agricultural practices. It may also include protecting forests and critical ecosystems as carbon sinks.
UNDP provides support to developing nations to create and implement long-term low emission development strategies, an essential policy tool under the Paris Agreement that ensures countries meet their climate targets.
Energy
Energy use is one of the primary contributors to climate change, making renewables such as solar or wind power more cost effective and increasing efficiency and decreasing waste an effective strategy to cut carbon emissions and help reverse global warming. Switching over to these methods, increasing efficiency and decreasing waste will all help lower emissions significantly.
GHG emissions come from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas for electricity generation, which release harmful greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere when burned. Renewable energy generates much fewer carbon emissions and other air pollutants when used to generate electricity than fossil fuels do.
The European Union (EU) has achieved substantial emissions reductions since 1990, with net greenhouse gas emissions falling 40% year-on-year since 1990. Yet much work still needs to be done in order to reach both its 2050 climate objectives and Paris Agreement targets. Key activities that can help reach them include investing in renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency measures and reducing methane emissions; these investments also offer multiple co-benefits like saving money or improving air quality.
Transport
Sustainable transportation is an integral component of climate change mitigation, yet its implementation can be daunting. Luckily, there are various methods for reducing emissions associated with transportation: investing in public transit and encouraging alternative modes like walking or biking is one such solution; another way is promoting cleaner vehicles and fuels while local governments can make changes that reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
Transportation emissions have seen rapid expansion. Cars and trucks in developed nations account for most greenhouse gas emissions; other sources may contribute nitrous oxides or particulates which contribute to ozone depletion.
Decoupling transportation emissions from economic growth is certainly feasible, with several cities already having achieved it. To meet our targets under the Paris Agreement, however, this trend must accelerate worldwide through various means – be they policies or incentives, supporting cleaner technology or infrastructure or advocating for them as a collective strategy.
Buildings
As countries submit national climate plans designed to meet Paris Agreement goals, buildings and construction present one of the greatest opportunities to reduce carbon emissions. Emissions from buildings come mainly from operational energy use as well as from extraction, manufacturing, transporting and installation of building materials – these emissions can be cut through energy efficiency measures or by switching over to renewable energies such as solar. Operational emissions can be decreased through energy-saving practices like increased efficiency or switching to sustainable sources like wood from sustainably managed forests for use as building material sources.
Implementing green building techniques can reduce emissions while improving indoor environmental quality, water usage, material selection and waste disposal. Implementing climate-resilient mass transit systems can further lower GHG emissions while mitigating storm impacts like urban flooding and excessive rainfall on infrastructure. Accountanting for both mitigation and resilience benefits in projects can help highlight their relationship so as to encourage investment toward projects which accomplish both goals simultaneously.
Agriculture
Farming is an integral industry, providing employment to over 60% of the global population and supporting economies around the world. Furthermore, farming has vast environmental and social ramifications: biodiversity protection; climate regulation; water system maintenance and protection of cultural heritage.
While no agricultural production can ever be entirely emissions-free, we can lower its environmental footprint through regenerative farming practices. Natural weed and pest management reduces our need for chemical sprays which pollute ecosystems; organic composting to nourish soil increases its health; while planting trees into agricultural landscapes allows us to capture carbon emissions and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Regenerative agriculture also boosts farmers’ incomes by decreasing costs of doing business. By limiting water usage, preventing soil erosion, planting trees to manage stormwater runoff and safeguard against drought conditions and protect land, we can make agriculture sustainable. Furthermore, using regenerative farming methods increases farmer yields while meeting needs in their families, communities or food markets.