Biodiversity, climate, and the Kyoto Protocol: risks and opportunities

Climate change is occurring at the same time as another problem of global and historical proportions – the sixth mass species extinction crisis in the history of life on earth. Wide-scale deforestation is fueling climate change and biodiversity loss, and is expected to greatly accelerate biodiversity loss and species extinctions. Recognizing the intimate interconnection between these two global problems and designing resilient actions that address both simultaneously is more important than ever; humanity has neither the time nor the financial resources to treat these challenges separately and sequentially. We must establish an international framework to encourage synergistic actions that capture multiple benefits while avoiding negative trade-offs. The Kyoto Protocol, as currently written, does little to advance such convergent solutions, and in many ways could unwittingly promote further biodiversity loss. Here we outline the risks associated with this climate treaty and suggest possible approaches that could capture otherwise lost opportunities.