‘Of the 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere each year, about 2 billion tonnes (4%) come from wildfires. Warmer temperatures, driven by El Niño, can drive emissions even higher. Emissions from last year’s Indonesian fires alone were estimated to be 1.78 billion tonnes and, in 1997, 4.2 billion tonnes.
‘Getting wildfire emissions under control will be a vital part of combating climate change, particularly as part of increasing ambition to reduce emissions under the Paris Agreement. Every possible opportunity for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change will need to be included in the new regime.
‘Wildfire is not specifically addressed in the Paris deal, but fire management can help meet several obligations under the agreement. Article 5 of the agreement states:
‘Parties should take action to conserve and enhance, as appropriate, sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases … including forests.
‘Along with colleagues, I have been working with Indigenous people in northern Australia to understand how traditional fire management reduces emissions. Now we want to take this Australian innovation global.’
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