biodiversity loss - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Faith communities are rallying to check climate change – their size and influence counts

ACCORDING to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 80% of the global population is motivated by faith or spirituality. Faced with the triple planetary crises of pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change, what role can faith communities play in saving the planet? RACHEL MASH, Research Associate of the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Theology and Religion, Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies, University of Pretoria In a recent publication, we looked at the role of two faith-based organisations – the Green Anglicans movement, which is present in 13 African countries, and UNEP’s Faith for Earth Initiative, a…

Jun

2021

By The African Mirror

EXPERT VIEWS-G7 climate commitments judged too weak to bag COP26 success

ENVIRONMENT

MEGAN ROWLING LEADERS of G7 wealthy nations have said that 2021 should be a "turning point for our planet", faced with an "existential threat" from the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. In a joint communique at the end of a summit in Britain, they agreed to support "a green revolution that creates jobs, cuts emissions and seeks to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees" above pre-industrial times. They said they would cut their climate-heating emissions to net-zero by 2050, halve their collective emissions by 2030 from 2010 levels, and boost climate finance for developing…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

COVID-19 has shown what happens when we destroy nature – 2021 must be the year we change course

ENVIRONMENT

MARCO LAMBERTIN FOR years, we have ignored the silent crisis of biodiversity loss, but we cannot risk another damaging decade for nature COVID-19 is an unprecedented global health crisis. But it has also been a wake-up call to the risks posed by our destructive relationship with the natural world. The 2021 Global Risk Report, published this week by the World Economic Forum, reveals that environmental concerns including climate change and biodiversity loss - linked to the rise in global pandemics - are among the top long-term risks the world will likely face in the next 10 years. Science is clear…