LAHORE: The WWF-Pakistan urged the world leaders gathering in Paris for COP21 to ensure that they conclude a deal that meets the demands of science and reduces greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to keep global warming below 1.5C, said a press release issued here on Sunday.

It said the importance of reaching a worldwide agreement on climate change was underscored with recent news that global temperatures had risen to 1C above pre-industrial levels, reaffirming scientists’ predictions that 2015 would be the hottest year in recorded history. Climate change posed huge threats to species such as the snow leopard as a shift in the snowline was shrinking its habitat and increasing human-snow leopard conflict. Moreover, sea turtles were also threatened by changes in climate as the gender of turtle hatchlings was temperature dependent.

“The global conference, COP21, taking place in Paris, France, from Nov 30, 2015 to Dec 11, 2015 has immense importance for Pakistan as the country is becoming highly vulnerable to changing weather patterns.

Pakistan does not contribute to climate change, accounting for less than one per cent of carbon emissions in the world,” WWF-Pakistan said.

It also produced a study on the impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector and food security. The study showed that eight to 10 percent loss in agricultural productivity across Sindh and Punjab (equivalent to Rs30,000 per acre) could be expected by 2040 for a conservative 0.5 degree Celsius predicted rise in average temperatures. Another finding was that 49 to 52pc yield gains were likely for cotton and wheat. The study urged replacing spending on big items such as dam/reservoir capacity and canal lining with training of farmers to adapt to changing weather patterns.

WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan said: “2015 has proven to be an unusual year for Pakistan due to unpredictable events across the entire country. A mini-cyclone in Peshawar killed 44 people; heat waves in Karachi killed more than 1,500 people, cloudbursts and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in various areas of Gilgit-Baltistan affected 35,717 people and floods across the country affected more than 1.5 million people”.

In his statement, WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini said: “Science is telling us that we need to act quickly on climate change and Paris is our moment. We need a strong climate plan that will cut carbon emissions, promote renewable energy, provide promised finance and protect powerful carbon sink ecosystems like forests and the oceans. Only strong action in Paris can help meet the scale and pace needed to avoid runaway climate change and secure a safer future for us all”.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2015