Introducing "Climate change: Behind the numbers"

The impacts of climate change are threatening the global food system, particularly rural farming communities who depend on agriculture to support their local economies. Droughts, heat waves, and altered precipitation patterns are affecting agricultural yields and increasing the risk of food insecurity. Unsustainable farming practices can exacerbate these climate impacts and decrease the productivity of agricultural land. On the contrary, nature-based solutions and adaptive agricultural practices can support food production and those whose lives depend on it.   Sébastien Treyer, Head of IDDRI and president of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the French Faculty for Global Environment (FFEM), and Lead Faculty Member of the Earth System Governance Network will explore:How can data help us understand the threats of climate change to the global food system? How can smallholder farmers promote ecological resilience (financial opportunities, agricultural practices, etc.)?  How to unpack the costs of inaction and what do these mean in practice? How will costs affect individual daily lives?  

Miosotis Rivas Peña, Director General of the Oficina Nacional de Estadística of the Dominican Republic talks to PARIS21's Sandra Camacho about how the country, a small island state on the frontlines of climate change, is prioritising climate change and environmental statistics within the NSO.

Less than 20% of the world's landholders are women, according to FAO data. Unequal access to land rights mostly for women means a lack of decision power over their home and property. With climate change bringing more droughts, rising sea levels, and extreme storms, access to and control over resources is key, and so is sex-disaggregated data. It is of essence if we want to bring to the fore these disparities in land rights and climate change resilience and to monitor the progress towards gender equality in agriculture.In this third episode of PARIS21’s podcast “Climate change: Behind the numbers”, Lorena Aguilar, Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, joins hosts Johannes Jütting and Sasha Ramirez-Hughes for a conversation on the differentiated impact of climate change on women and men, and the underlying causes. As a gender and environment expert, she also highlights examples of how cultural practices and customs could be addressed and how persistent gender data gaps hinder our understanding of how climate change escalates social, political, and economic tensions. However, “in many parts of the world, there is a lack of willingness to collect disaggregated data because it is considered expensive and cumbersome. Many countries also simply lack the capacity to collect this kind of information. On the other side, sadly there are cemeteries of data that are not being used for policy making.”Browse all episodes at️ https://bit.ly/Climate-PARIS21

Reporting on climate change can be complex, given the sheer volume of data and interrelationships between issues like global warming, pollution and sea level rise, among others. To convey messages in a relatable and objective way, journalists seek to provide context, stories and visualisations that don’t leave room for misinterpretation.In this second episode of PARIS21’s new podcast “Climate change: Behind the numbers”, Alan Smith, Head of Visual and Data Journalism at the Financial Times, joins hosts Johannes Jütting and Sasha Ramirez-Hughes for a conversation on temperature records, and the use of data visualisation and storytelling to engage audiences, incentivise change in behaviour and combat fake news. In his talk, he highlights the number 53.8 degrees, which represents the extreme temperature swing recorded in the United Arab Emirates during the first half of 2021, where recorded temperatures went from -2 degrees Celsius in January to 51.8 degrees Celsius in the summer. As a former Head of Digital Content at the UK’s Office for National Statistics, he also shares his thoughts on what it comes down to when national statistical offices want their statistics to be relevant. “When you compile and publish statistics you first need to know if they are fit for purpose. You need to know what this purpose is and what you compile the statistics for. Statisticians have all the insights and they should be shared. Saying nothing about the statistics you publish is not necessarily neutral,” Alan Smith concludes.  FT Climate Capital Hub: https://www.ft.com/climate-capital FT Climate Graphic of the Week: https://www.ft.com/content/fe218353-a395-4fa6-adc9-2decc4c4197d

In recent years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment has emerged to play a significant role in the sustainable development sector. At the same time, criticisms of the ESG industry have grown louder.In this first episode, Sony Kapoor, CEO of the Nordic Institute for Finance, Technology and Sustainability and Professor of Climate, Geoeconomics and Finance at the European University Institute, joins hosts Johannes Jütting and Sasha Ramirez-Hughes for a conversation on sustainable and responsible investing, which amounted to 35.5 trillion dollars in 2021, according to latest edition of the Global Sustainable Investment Review. In his talk, he explores the financial sector’s role in putting the global economy on a sustainable path and points out the risk of mis-selling ESG labelling as well as the need to take climate action in developing and emerging economies. “80 percent of environmental destruction happening between now and 2050, is determined by the actions taken or not taken in developing and emerging economies,” Sony Kapoor, an experienced macroeconomist, finance and development expert, concludes.   

In this introductory episode, hosts Johannes Jütting and Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, kick off the new PARIS21 podcast and unpack three numbers in less than two minutes: 1.5° C, 95% and 63%. Join them as they demystify these numbers on climate change, which may affect you, your families and communities.