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Biodiversity atlas from UNEP

New York: Boosting funding for efforts to slash greenhouse gas emissions stemming from deforestation can simultaneously combat climate change and conserve biodiversity, a newly made atlas launched by a United Nations agency shows.

The Carbon and Biodiversity Demonstration Atlas of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) pinpoints areas where high carbon and high biodiversity converge. “At a time of scarce financial resources and economic concerns, every dollar, euro or rupee needs to deliver double, even triple dividends,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director. “Intelligent investment in forests is a key example of where climate benefits and ecosystem benefits can be achieved in one transaction.”

The launch of the atlas comes as countries are meeting in Poznan, Poland, for the U.N. climate change talks aimed at reaching agreement on a successor pact to the Kyoto Protocol, whose first commitment period ends in 2012. Participants are also seeking to further plans to fund efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, or REDD, as part of the post-Kyoto agreement. — PTI

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Biodiversity atlas from UNEP

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