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At the 28th Conference of the Parties in Dubai, negotiators from nearly 200 countries reached a historic deal to move away from oil, gas and coal in a “just, orderly and equitable manner”. In the 28 years since the United Nations Climate Conference was held, this is the first time that countries have specifically targeted fossil fuels.
The agreement also calls for tripling the amount of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar and doubling global energy efficiency by 2030. Countries have pledged to significantly reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
The United Nations said the deal was “the beginning of the end for fossil fuels”.
But scientists say countries need to commit to phasing out coal, gas and oil more quickly. If the world is to limit global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F), greenhouse gas emissions will need to be cut by 43% by 2030.
According to the global “stocktake” from the 28th session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties, countries are lagging far behind in achieving this goal. Currently, the world is expected to reduce emissions by just 5% this decade. The Earth has already warmed by more than 1.2°C.
In discussions of how to move forward, an important theme emerged: the need to scale up nature-based solutions.
The agreement recognizes that “conservation, protection and restoration of nature and ecosystems” are critical to achieving climate mitigation and adaptation goals.
It calls for “halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030”, using more landscapes as carbon sinks and increasing protection of biodiversity.
To help more communities withstand climate impacts, world leaders also see the need to set global adaptation goals and use nature-based solutions to achieve them.
This way, more communities will not only be protected from harm, but also experience the health, biodiversity, carbon reduction and economic benefits of nature-based solutions.
At COP28, landscape architect representatives advocated for maximizing the benefits of nature-based solutions through design.
For two weeks, ASLA representatives Torey Carter-Conneen, CEO of ASLA, and Pamela Conrad, founder of ASLA Climate Design and chair of the ASLA Climate Action Plan Working Group, joined other landscape architect representatives in Dubai:
- Kotchakorn Voraakhom, founder of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Land Treatment and chair of the Climate and Biodiversity Group Working Group
- Kongjian Yu is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, founder of Turen Landscape, professor and dean of the School of Architecture and Landscape Design at Peking University, and winner of the 2023 Cornelia Hahn Oberlander International Landscape Design Award.
- Catherine Seavitt, ASLA, professor and chair of the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania
In total, they have spoken at more than 40 conferences. Eight ASLA virtual representatives participated online.
Conrad said progress was made at the meeting, but more needs to be done. “Countries acknowledge that fossil fuels are the problem, but that is not enough. The agreement does not include the phase-out commitments needed to keep warming below the 1.5°C threshold and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”
“Attending COP always makes me hopeful for humanity and what I do as a landscape architect. Climate change has become our common goal. This is the first time in human history that we are working towards a goal.” Volahoe Mu said.
“But the collective karma of our past is also in the air. We are not yet on track to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Where are the benefits for those who are vulnerable and about to be displaced? Millions of climate migrants What will happen if we suffer loss and damage due to climate impacts?”
“The appeal of the Loss and Damage Fund was an important moment on the first day of COP28,” Conrad said. “While the $700 million pledged – and the $17.5 million provided by the United States – is not enough to offset our historic emissions and impact on damage in many developing countries, but this is the first step in recognizing these harms and taking action.”
“Without a global adaptation strategy, communities around the world will suffer greater loss and damage,” Warahom said. “We need to raise more money to measure the performance of nature-based solutions. Now more than ever, people believe in their benefits. But now it comes back to us – landscape architects – to make them solid, reusable Measure and be able to get financing.”
Kongjian Yu of FASLA, who attended COP28 as a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) delegation and spoke at IUCN and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) events, came to a similar conclusion.
At this year’s conference, “nature-based solutions were widely accepted and discussed by financial institutions.”
But he believes “landscape architects need to speak loudly about these solutions, which are central to landscape architects’ past and future practice and research.”
“Landscape architects need to showcase their performance. There is an urgent need to do so to increase the visibility of landscape architects and solidify our ability to transform communities away from traditional gray infrastructure.”
Conrad also believes there is a need to “use carbon markets to increase financial support for the work of landscape architects. We need to expand current metrics and tools to go beyond carbon to quantify biodiversity, health, heat and water.”
In discussions with policymakers and other delegates at COP28, Conrad found “strong support from all for nature-based solutions; the rights and wisdom of indigenous peoples; the use of bio-based low-carbon materials; and linking climate and biodiversity sexual crisis. These are themes we have incorporated into ASLA’s Climate Action Plan. It’s great to see them recognized on the global stage.”
Carter-Conneen said, “Landscape architects came out in force at COP28. I witnessed firsthand the passion and expertise of our member leaders. As a delegation, we do this by engaging global policymakers, private sector leaders and fellow climate advocates Real progress has been made by engaging researchers and educating them on the value of nature-based solutions as a key component of any mitigation or adaptation strategy.”
“As a landscape architect and designer focused on equitable adaptation in cities, I have always been interested in traditional ecological knowledge and the role this knowledge plays in decarbonization and just transitions,” Sievert said. The Penn State delegation’s research focused on the Amazon rainforest.
At COP28, “Mary Lyons, a North American Ojibwe elder and wisdom keeper, put it succinctly when it came to Indigenous land management: ‘Our way is not the old way, it is the right way.'”
“After COP28, I was reminded that landscape architects are key to supporting the ‘how’ of climate policy. What does a just transition look like? How do we integrate indigenous knowledge in a way that is equitable to all human and superhuman species? What does that look like? What?”
“This is where landscape architects bring our skills in ecology, interconnectivity, intersectional thinking, and visualizing the future,” Sievert said.
Looking ahead to next year’s COP29 in Azerbaijan, Carter-Conneen said: “We will build on this year’s participation by providing more data on the environmental, social and economic benefits of green infrastructure and emphasizing the inclusion of landscape architects globally. of strategic importance. Working to stabilize our climate.”
Conrad sees the need to build relationships with policymakers, technology companies, financial institutions and philanthropists.
“We also need to strengthen relationships with our allies – civil engineers, architects, planners and ecologists – so that we can represent the collective voice of the built and natural environment. This is an ‘arms linked’ moment . When we work together, we are stronger and the future of our planet depends on it. “
“We need to strengthen cooperation with policymakers to change the business-as-usual scenario,” Yu said. “We need to work with civil engineers to more actively integrate ecological and nature-based solutions.”
“We also need to work with the media to change the culture and educate the public that these solutions are key to adapting cities and regions. We need to work with financial institutions so they understand the benefits of good landscape design. Together we can find a way methods to create projects that can be financed.”
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