Birds & climate change, Paris COP 21, and what we can do about it

Climate change is reducing sea ice extent in Antarctica, with implications for the species that rely on it. The probability of quasi-extinction of one Emperor penguin colony is 36% by 2100 (Jenouvrier et al. 2009).

Climate change is probably the largest conservation threat of our time. Our carbon emissions are unsustainable and human responses to this environmental change are also a huge driver of species declines.

In the next few weeks leaders from across the globe will be flocking to Paris for the 21st UNFCCC COP to try and reach an agreement as to how the planet can continue to combat this threat. The UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is made up of 195 parties, and members gather at Conference of the Parties (COP). The COP is the decision making body of the convention and whose aim is to ensure targets are being implemented: the current agreed aim is to ensure temperatures don't exceed 2 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. If temperatures rise above this level of change, the disruption to ecosystem services are predicted to be considerable.

But climate change is already impacting species across the globe. The impacts of this environmental change on birds is well documented, and birds can be seen as indicators for how many other taxonomic groups will be influenced. Their ranges are shifting, some populations are declining and the interactions between many species are being disrupted (predators, prey, competitors).  And things are set to worsen: projections suggest that more species will lose out from climate change than benefit, through loss of climatically suitable range. The threats already facing birds are also set to be exacerbated - endemic hawaiian birds will lose refugia from avian malaria as temperatures increase (Benning et al. 2002), and black-legged kittiwakes will continue to be impacted by both fisheries and climate induced changes in prey abundance (Frederiksen et al. 2004).

This month a report by BirdLife International and the National Audubon Society is set to be released. It is a synthesis of the impacts of climate on birds to date, projected impacts and solutions being implemented. We also have a set of policy asks: key recommendations that we will be taking to COP 21 in the hope that the impacts of climate change on wildlife will also be taken seriously.

We are all contributing to climate change, and we all need to help combat it. Whilst governments are key players in making effective policy, we all need to do our bit to save energy.

Some simple actions I think we as individuals can do to help are listed below:

• Reduce the amount of meat in your diet. Cattle are a huge emitter of green house gasses and a huge driver of forest loss. Reduced demand will help reduce this threat. Check out Meat Free Mondays

• Lift share or get on your bicycle! 

• Turn off appliances at night - you aren't using them and will save energy and reduce your bills!

• Eat local food (rather than those transported from across the globe)