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Impacts of Climate-Related Geoengineering on Biological Diversity

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Impacts of Climate-Related Geoengineering on Biological Diversity CBD Distr. GENERAL UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/28 5 April 2012 1 ENGLISH ONLY SUBSIDIARY BODY ON SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE Sixteenth meeting Montreal, 30 April-5 May 2012 Item 7.3 of the provisional agenda* IMPACTS OF CLIMATE-RELATED GEOENGINEERING ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Note by the Executive Secretary 1. The Executive Secretary is circulating herewith, for the information of participants in the sixteenth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, a study on the impacts of climate-related geoengineering on biological diversity. 2. This study compiles and synthesizes available scientific information on the possible impacts of a range of geoengineering techniques on biodiversity, including preliminary information on associated social, economic and cultural considerations. The study also considers definitions and understandings of climate-related geoengineering relevant to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The study has been prepared in response to paragraph 9 (l) of decision X/33, to address the elements of the mandate from that decision which relate specifically to the impacts of climate-related geoengineering on biodiversity. Related legal and regulatory matters are treated in a separate study (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/29). In addition, a separate consultation process has been undertaken by the Convention on Biological Diversity in order to seek the views of indigenous peoples and local communities on the possible impacts of geoengineering techniques on biodiversity and associated social, economic and cultural considerations (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/30). 3. This study has been prepared by a group of experts and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking into account comments from two rounds of review by Parties, experts and stakeholders.3 4. The key messages are available in all United Nations languages in section II of the note by the Executive Secretary on the technical and regulatory matters on geoengineering in relation to the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/10). 5. The study has not been formally edited. It will be edited prior to publication in the CBD Technical Series. * UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/1. 1 Reissued to include the Key Messages (as provided in document UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/10) and the table of contents. The rest of the text remains unchanged. 2 Lead authors are: Phillip Williamson, Robert Watson, Georgina Mace, Paulo Artaxo, Ralph Bodle, Victor Galaz, Andrew Parker, David Santillo, Chris Vivian, David Cooper, Jaime Webbe, Annie Cung and Emma Woods. Others who provided input or comments are listed in annex II. /… In order to minimize the environmental impacts of the Secretariat’s processes, and to contribute to the Secretary-General’s initiative for a C-Neutral UN, this document is printed in limited numbers. Delegates are kindly requested to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies. UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/28 Page 2 CONTENTS KEY MESSAGES .................................................................................................................................3 CHAPTER 1: MANDATE, CONTEXT AND SCOPE OF WORK..............................................10 1.1 Mandate ....................................................................................................................................10 1.2 Context for the consideration of potential impacts of geoengineering on biodiversity............11 1.3 Relevant guidance under the Convention on Biological Diversity...........................................12 1.4 Scope of techniques examined in this study.............................................................................14 1.5 Structure of the document.........................................................................................................14 1.6 Key sources of information ......................................................................................................15 CHAPTER 2: DEFINITION AND FEATURES OF GEOENGINEERING APPROACHES AND TECHNIQUES ..........................................................................................................................17 2.1 Definition of climate-related geoengineering...........................................................................17 2.2 Features of proposed geoengineering techniques .....................................................................18 CHAPTER 3: OVERVIEW OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND OF THE THEIR IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY ...............................................................25 3.1 Overview of projected climate change and ocean acidification. ..............................................25 3.2 Observed and projected impacts of climate change, including ocean acidification, on biodiversity.......................................................................................................................................30 3.3 The role of biodiversity in the Earth system and in delivering ecosystem services ................37 3.4 Projected socio-economic and cultural impacts of climate change, in biodiversity context ....37 CHAPTER 4: POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY OF CLIMATE GEOENGINEERING ACHIEVED BY SUNLIGHT REFLECTION METHODS .....................40 4.1 Potential impacts on biodiversity of generic SRM that causes uniform dimming ...................40 4.2 Potential impacts of SRM on biodiversity at the technique-specific level ..............................45 CHAPTER 5: POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY OF CARBON DIOXIDE REMOVAL GEOENGINEERING TECHNIQUES .......................................................................51 5.1 General features of CDR approaches .......................................................................................51 5.2 Projected impacts on biodiversity of individual CDR approaches ...........................................55 5.3. Sequestration of other greenhouse gases ...................................................................................68 CHAPTER 6. SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF CLIMATE-RELATED GEOENGINEERING..........................................................................69 6.1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................69 6.2 Available information................................................................................................................69 6.3 General social, economic and cultural considerations..............................................................70 6.4 Specific social, economical and cultural considerations of geoengineering technologies as they relate to biodiversity .........................................................................................................................74 CHAPTER 7. SYNTHESIS..............................................................................................................78 7.1 Changes in the drivers of biodiversity loss................................................................................78 7.2 The question of scale and its implications for feasibility and impacts of geoengineering techniques .........................................................................................................................................79 7.3 Gaps in knowledge and understanding...................................................................................79 ANNEX I ..............................................................................................................................................81 SUMMARY OF SELECTED DEFINITIONS OF CLIMATE-RELATED GEOENGINEERING ....................................................................................................................81 ANNEX II .............................................................................................................................................83 REPORT AUTHORS, EDITORS AND CONTRIBUTORS ......................................................83 /… UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/16/INF/28 Page 3 IMPACTS OF CLIMATE-RELATED GEOENGINEERING ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY KEY MESSAGES 6. Biodiversity, ecosystems and their services are critical to human well-being. Protection of biodiversity and ecosystems requires that drivers of biodiversity loss are reduced. The current main direct drivers of biodiversity loss are habitat conversion, over-exploitation, introduction of invasive species, pollution and climate change. These in turn are being driven by demographic, economic, technological, socio-political and cultural changes. Human-driven climate change due to greenhouse-gas emissions is becoming increasingly important as a driver of biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystem services. A rapid transition to a low-carbon economy is the best strategy to reduce such adverse impacts on biodiversity. However, on the basis of current greenhouse-gas emissions, their long atmospheric residence times and the relatively limited action to date to reduce future emissions, the use of geoengineering techniques has also been suggested as an additional means to limit the magnitude of human-induced climate change and its impacts. Proposed climate-related geoengineering techniques 7. In this report, climate-related geoengineering is defined as a deliberate intervention in the planetary environment of a nature and scale intended to counteract anthropogenic climate change and its impacts. Geoengineering techniques
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