A study on the impact of climate change on fish stocks by scientists from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) has identified ocean hotspots for fish extinction and a link between rising temperatures and fish movement.

In this Carbon Brief blog Dr. Rob Bellamy presents an analysis of geoengineering, discussing available alternative options, different perspectives and the complexity of applying such solutions to the real world. In presenting the results of past studies he concludes that despite the addition of more options and perspectives, there is a remarkable consistency of arguments in geoengineering proposals and alternatives.  Read the full article here. Read more about geoengineering on our website.

In the recent annual report from the Global Carbon Project (GCP) we are warned that if emissions continue to climb at current rates, we will not be able to keep global warming to less than two degrees Celsius. The research suggests that if we wish to limit global warming (to 2 degrees) we will have to stay below 3,200 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.

This book contains 17 chapters focusing on the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, food security, water resources and economic stability. Strategies to develop sustainable systems that minimize impact on climate and/or mitigate the effects of human activity on climate change are also presented.

In this open letter a large number of civil society organisations present a critique of the use of ‘Climate Smart Agriculture’, a concept that is gaining increasing attention among governments, NGOs, academics, corporations and in international policy. They state that they have concerns around the aims of the 'Global Alliance on Climate Smart Agriculture' to establish policies to enable farming to deal with the impacts of climate change.

A major new report released by a commission of global leaders finds that governments and businesses can improve economic growth and reduce their carbon emissions together. Rapid technological innovation and new investment in infrastructure are making it possible today to tackle climate change at the same time as improving economic performance.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide last year grew at the fastest rate since 1984, says a BBC news article. Reporting on data released by the World Meteorological Organisation, the article describes how this increase in concentration is due not only to increased greenhouse gas emissions, but also to a reduced carbon uptake by the biosphere. This reduction could be temporary, or it could be an indication that the biosphere has reached its absorption limit. The article points out that seas, trees, and living things, which play an important role by absorbing over half of the total greenhouse gas emissions, are also breaking records; the oceans soak up about 4kg of CO2 per person every day, a rate unparalleled over the last 300 million years and resulting in unprecedented salination of the oceans.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has launched a new website dedicated to climate change and food policy research and impacts. The website covers news, event updates, project profiles, and shares related materials from across its climate change research portfolio. Since the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is a prominent partner in the field of climate change, much of CCAFS and IFPRI’s mutual work together will be featured on the site. Visit the web site here.