EUROPARC @COP21: Protected Areas fighting Climate Change

CoP21, Paris, 2015

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From November 29th to December 11th, France hosts the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21).

COP21, or 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will bring together main actors at a global level: nations, businesses and organisations related with energy, innovation and environment. The objective is to achieve a universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.

EUROPARC believes that Protected Areas play a vital role on climate change mitigation and adaptation. PA’s are in the front line of nature conservation: monitoring, evaluating and sounding the alarm of biodiversity loss. They are responsible for around 15 per cent of the terrestrial carbon stock (Campbell et al., 2008a, in UNEP-PA and Climate Change), and are important players preventing further carbon emissions caused by degradation.

Moreover, Protected Areas in Europe are working intensively at a local level, engaging communities towards more efficient and sustainable business practices, from tourism to green infra-structures, agriculture and ecosystem services.

Ignace Schops, EUROPARC President, will be in Paris raising the voice of Protected Areas, in a joint conference with Fédération Parcs Naturels Régionaux (Federation of French Regional Parks).

We kindly invite all partners, members and organisations to participate in the conference, on December 11th at Le Bourget, zone blue, Pavillon Européen (Hall B), between 18:30-20:00.

Presentation Title: «Parcs accompagnateurs/acteurs des stratégies de lutte contre le changement climatique» (Parks as actors of the strategies to fight Climate Change)